150 



IRIS. 



thickets. A variety with variegated 



leaves forms a very pleasing addition 

 to our list of variegated border plants, 

 and is also an excellent house plant. A 

 graceful-leaved and pleasingly striped 

 plant, seen in many Parisian houses, 

 is perhaps rarely suspected to be 

 this variegated form. The com- 

 mon green form is well worthy of 

 being grown in semi-wild places for 

 the sake of the effect of its brilliant 

 coral- red seeds. Division. 



Iris germanica (Common Iris). The 

 well-known large violet Iris, which 

 may be seen blooming abundantly 

 in small gardens in some parts 

 of London; 1 to 3 ft. high. Flowers, 

 early in summer ; large, irregular, and 

 fragrant, four or five on each stem; 

 exterior divisions deep violet, broad, 

 spathulate - wedge - shaped, blunt, 

 curved backwards, with a yellowish 

 beard ; internal divisions same colour, 

 very broadly spathulate, erect, ellipti- 

 cal or oblong, blunt, with wavy edges ; 

 limb of the stigma streaked with lilac 

 and rosy- white. Leaves, in two rows, 

 sword- shaped, slightly arching, of a 

 glaucous green, shorter than the stem. 

 Rhizome creeping, fleshy and knotty. 

 Native of Southern Europe. A va- 

 riety, named /. germanica alba, has 

 the external divisions bluish- white ; 

 internal, pure white. Another (/. g. 

 ccerulea) has the external divisions 



violet ; internal, sky-blue. Borders 



or naturalization in semi- wild places. 

 It does best in well-drained soil in a 

 warm aspect, but will thrive in almost 

 any soil or position. There are many 

 beautiful varieties, all readily in- 

 creased by division. 



Iris gramineus (Grass-leaved I.) 

 Intermediate in stature between the 

 dwarf and the tall kinds, and with dis- 

 tinct-looking foliage. Flowers, early in 

 summer; solitary, slightly fragrant; ex- 

 ternal divisions with a claw 2 in. long, of 

 a violet-lilac veined with blue, and a 



yellow band in the middle ; limb half 

 the length of the claw, nearly round, 

 obtuse, wavy, streaked and veined 

 with white, yellow, and blue ; in* 

 ternal divisions of a uniform violet- 

 blue, lanceolate - oblong, indented, 

 Leaves, nearly linear, streaked, 

 straight, stiff, and erect, of a bright 

 green, glossy on one side only. Rhi- 

 zome slender. Native of South 



Europe. Borders, and fringes of 



shrubberies, in any soil Division. 



Iris iberica (Iberian 7.) Oncocy- 

 dus ibericus. A remarkably striking 

 Iris, reminding one of /. susiana, but 

 quite distinct in leaf and flower ; 4 to 

 16 in. high. Flowers, in summer; 

 solitary ; external divisions roundish, 

 clawed, of a dull-red, marked with 

 tawny streaks, with a few hairs on 

 the upper part, and an oval, velvety, 

 black, purple -edged spot in the mid- 

 dle, recurved, and with slightly 

 reflected edges ; internal divisions 

 roundish, clawed, larger, erect, spread- 

 ing, of a very pale purple, with streaks 

 of a darker hue, veined and spotted 

 about the base ; blade of the stigma, 

 yellowish, dotted with purple. Leaves, 

 linear, arched, almost curled, folded 

 lengthwise. Iberia, on hills near Tiflis. 

 On the warm flanks of the rock- 

 garden, or in choice beds in good sandy 

 soil, at least till more plentiful. It 

 is but recently introduced. 



Iris juncea (Rush 7.) 7. lusitanica. 

 A brilliant kind in the way of the 

 Spanish and English Irises ; 1 ft. to 2 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in spring ; usually one 

 on a stem ; external divisions of a 

 bright yellow, streaked and veined 

 with violet on the claw ; internal divi- 

 sions spathulate-oblong, pointed, in- 

 dented, of the same length and colour 

 as the external divisions ; limb of the 

 stigma yellow, about 2 in. long. 

 Leaves, longer than the flower-stem, 

 linear-lanceolate, narrow, glaucous, 

 rather flaccid. Native of Spain, For- 



