THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



IRIS. 607 



not seen as often as one might expect in 

 gardens. 



I. Monnieri. A noble Flag, distinct 

 from any other in cultivation, the leaves 

 being dark-green, and the flower-stem 

 nearly 4<ft. high, whilst the outer divisions 

 of the flowers, which are very fragrant, 

 are recurved, and of a rich golden-yellow, 

 margined with white. It is by no 

 means common, and blooms later than 

 most of the other species, in most seasons 

 even after the varieties of K?empfer's Flag. 

 It is a native of Crete, and succeeds best 

 in rather moist soil, whilst increased easily 

 by division or seed. 



I. Monspur is a seedling, raised by 

 Prof. Foster, between I. Monnieri and I. 

 spuria, and is a very beautiful plant. The 

 variety Notha differs from I. spuria in 

 being altogether larger, considerably more 

 rigid both in stem and leaves, and with a 

 much longer spathe valve. This plant is 

 said to be found in the salt marshes of 

 Siberia. When grown well, by no means 

 difficult in ordinary garden soil, it is most 

 effective in full flower. Some of the 

 varieties, such as stenogyna, sub-barbata, 

 &c., have been bandied about between I. 

 spuria and the nearly allied I. Gulden- 

 staedtiana, but the simpler way is to call 

 them all varieties of I. spuria. 



I. neglecta is amongst the commonest 

 Flags in cultivation, and one of the tallest 

 growing species, having given rise to 

 numerous garden varieties. Its flowers 

 rarely measure more than 2^ in. across, 

 the standards being of a pale blue, with 

 darker shading, and the much reflexedfalls 

 are of a deep blue, veined with purplish- 

 red ; the crest or beard is bright yellow, 

 and very striking. 



I. ochroleuca ( Yellow-banded Flag). 

 There are few handsomer or more stately 

 Flags than this. It is an old plant in our 

 gardens, but never seems to have become 

 common. The foliage is slender, about 4 

 ft. long, and comes up in a most graceful 

 twist. The spikes usually bear four or five 

 flowers, white or nearly so, with large 

 yellow blotch on the fall, and some reach 

 nearly 6 ft. in height, strong clumps pro- 

 ducing four or five. It does not seem 

 particular as to moisture in the soil, and 

 few Flags will thrive better or give more 

 satisfactory results in the ordinary mixed 

 border, where its large flowers and 

 luxuriant foliage present a fine appear- 

 ance. There is a variety called gigantea 

 which has larger and finer flowers, but 

 differs in no other way. I. Kerneriana 

 differs only in its smaller flowers and 

 much narrower leaves. * 



I. orchioides. There are a great beauty 



and distinctness in the rich, dark yellow 

 blossoms of this lovely species that are not 

 found in any other Iris of spring, while the 

 black spots on the lower petals only tend 

 to make the flowers still more effective. 

 Added to this distinct beauty is the vigor- 



Iris ochroleuca. 



ous leafy growth so characteristic of this 

 kind. Coupled with this is the fact of its 

 being also a profuse flowering species, 

 often bearing as many as six blossoms on 

 a single spike. It is a tuberous-rooted 



