608 IRIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



IRIS. 



species and a handsome plant when 

 thoroughly established. It seems hardy 

 and free at least on warm soils. 



I. pallida (Great Purple Fta/).Th\s 

 is a variety of the common German Flag 

 and one of the stateliest and most beautiful 



some distance in front of the end of the 

 style, comes abruptly and squarely to an 

 end, being marked off by a cross bar of 

 rich crimson devoid of hairs. The small 

 portion of the fall in front of this bar is 

 of a creamy-white, traversed by radiating 

 thick dark-purple veins, which are so 

 closely set as to leave little of the ground 

 visible. The plant varies much in size and 

 colour, and the total effect of the flower 

 is very striking and beautiful. 



I. persica (Persian Iris]. This is one 

 of the most charming of the early kinds, 

 and deserves a place wherever the soil is 

 warm and dry. Its flowers, produced from 

 a tuft of bright green leaves that just peep 

 over the soil, are white, suffused with pale 

 Prussian blue, and blotched with velvety 

 purple. It comes from Persia, and is 

 therefore somewhat tender, but in warm 

 sheltered spots, in light sandy soil, suc- 

 ceeds well enough, and flowers in winter 

 and spring, according to the weather. 



I. Pseudo-acorus (Common ]Va1et 

 Flag). Common as is this Flag, every one 

 who has grown it fairly will admit its beauty. 

 Whoever has in his garden a pond or a 

 ditch, or even a thoroughly damp spot, 

 ought to plant this Flag. 



Iris pallida. 



of the genus. When in full vigour, the 

 spikes will reach 4 ft. in height, with a 

 succession of from eight to twelve of its 

 large pale-mauve or purple flowers, scented 

 like the elder. It is known also as the 

 Turkey Flag, and there are forms of it, 

 such as the Dalmatian and also Man- 

 dralisca?, which have deep blue flowers. 

 It is a fine border-plant, and charming in 

 large groups. 



I. paradoxa. This is a singular 

 Cushion Iris, a native of West Persia and 

 the Caucasus, and fitly called " paradoxi- 

 cal." The fall is reduced to a narrow 

 strap half an inch or less in width, but the 

 standard is large, erect, and while the 

 small fall is stout and firm, almost leathery, 

 is delicate and flimsy in texture. The 

 ground colour of the claw is a rich crimson 

 or deep pink, but beneath the claw and 

 for some little distance in front of it the 

 crimson hue is all but entirely hid by 

 numerous short dark-purple, almost black, 

 hairs, so thickly set as to imitate velvet 

 very closely indeed. This velvet area, at 



I. pumila (Dwarf Flag]. The best of 

 the dwarf Flags, for to it we owe the many 

 lovely varieties that create such a rich dis- 

 play of bloom in spring. It grows from 4 

 to 8 in. high, and has deep violet flowers, 

 unusually large for its size. There are 

 several named varieties, the most attrac- 



