IRIDACE.1: 305 



rose. A popular garden plant from Mexico, blooming in the open in late 

 summer and autumn; some forms are double. 



r>. HYPCXIS. Star-grass. 



Steuile.ss, with grass-lilie. hairy leaves, growing from a corm-like root- 

 stock: Howers yellow on filiform scapes: perianth 6-parted. 



H. er6cta, Linn. Scape 3-8 in., not so long as the grassy leaves, soft- 

 hairy; flowers 1-4, yellow, greenish without, about % in. in diameter. 

 Common in dry soils. 



VII. IRIDACE.^. Iris Family. 



Differs from Amaryllidacese and Liliaceas in its inferior ovary, 

 three stamens which are opposite the outer parts of the perianth, 

 and 2-ranked equitant (bases overlapping) leaves: stigmas some- 

 times large and petal-like. About 60 genera and 700 species. Rep- 

 resentative plants are iris or blue flag, crocus, gladiolus, freesia. 

 Crocuses and freesias are easily grown in window-boxes for winter 

 and spring bloom. 



A. Lobes of the style expanded and colored, looking like 



petals 1. Iris 



AA. Lobes of the style thread-like. 



B. Plant steraless: flowers borne on scapes. 



c. From corms: spathe 1-flowered: flower large, 



and perianth tube long and slender 2. Crocus 



CO. From mostly fibrous roots : perianth tube scarcely 

 perceptible, if at all: fls. small: spathe 2- or 



more flowered 3. Sisi/rincJiium 



BB. Plants with a leaf-bearing and flower-bearing stem. 



c. Flowers in a short 1-sided cluster: plant small ..4. Freesia 

 rr. Flowers in a terminal spike: plant large 5. Gladiolus 



1. IRIS. Fleur-de-lis. Flag. 



Mostly strong plants, with rhizomes or tubers: flowers mostly large and 

 showy, the three outer segments recurving and the three inner ones usually 

 smaller and more erect or sometimes incurving: the three long divisions of 

 the style petal-like and often more or less hairy, covering the stamens: 

 stigma on the under side of the style : leaves long and sword-shaped. Several 

 wild and many cultivated species. The following species have rhizomes, 

 a. Flouers yellow. 



1. Pseudacorus, Linn. Common yellow flag. One to 3 ft., with several- 

 flowered, often branching stamens: outer divisions of the perianth with no 

 hairs or crests: flowers bright yellow. Europe. 



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