530 ORDER CXXIV. IRIDACE^. 



base ; upper leaves merely a sheath. Flowers in a terminal spike 

 Bracts an ovate scale. Sepals lanceolate, acute. Petals flaccid. — Red; 

 If. May — July. Wet soils. Low country of Car. and Geo. 2 — 3ft 



Indian Shot. Headache Plant. 



Genus IL— THA'LIA. L. 1—1. 

 (In honor of Thalius, a German physician.) 



Sepals 3, ovate-lanceolate, concave, small. Corolla tubular, 

 6-parted. Anther simple, ovate. Style short, deflected. Stig- 

 ma ringent. Capsule 2-celled. 



1. T. dealba'ta, (Pursh.) Leaves all radical, distichous, cordate-., 

 ovate, acute, glabrous, long, and wide, on very long petioles. Scape 

 erect, columnar. Flowers in terminal panicles. Peduncles jointed, 

 with a many-leaved involucre at each joint. Bracts 2-flowei-ed, eoria 

 ceous. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, purple ; the three exterior segments 

 of the corolla obovate, equal, the-thiee interior irregular. Sterile fila- 

 ments irregular, the fertile one filiform. — Purple. If, June — Sept 

 In the low country. 3 — 5 feet. 



Order CXXIV.— IRIDA'CEJS. (Iris Family.) 



Perianth tubular, 6-parted, petaloid, irregular, tlie outer seg- 

 ments largest. Stamens 3, opposite the outer segiiii^nts. Ocary 

 3-celled, inclosed in the tube of the perianth. Ovules nunn rous. 

 Style 1. Stigmas 3, in the Iris dilated, and petaloid. Capsule 

 3-celled, 5-valved, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds numerous. 

 Flowers spathaceous. Herbaceous plants, with equitant leaves. 



Genus I. — I'RIS. L. 3 — 1. {Flower-de-luce.) 

 (From iris, the eye, in allusion to its colors.) 



Perianth 6-parted ; segments uneqii.-.l, the outer ones larg'i 

 and reflexed, the inner smaller, and erect. Stamens 3, distinct. 

 Style none. Stigmas 3, petaloid, deflected, covering the stamens. 



1. I. crista'ta, (L.) Ste7n compressed, short. Leaves cnsif i;m ; 

 scape 1-flowered; exterior segment* of the perianth oblong, ohtuse. e.'i- 

 tire, with 3 longitudinal crests ; interior petals narrower. — Blue and 

 yellow. U- F«b. — March. Abundant in Middle Car. 2 — 4 inches. 



Crested Iris. 



2. I. vERSic'oLOE, (L.) Stem erect, simple, or branched toward the 

 summit. Leaves ensiform. Flowers 2 — 4, at the summit of the s^cape ; 

 segments of the perianth spatulate ; exterior segments pubescent on 

 the inner surface, Inner ones smaller. Stigmas ligulate, 2-toothed near 

 the base. Capsule ventricose. — Blue, variegated with green, yellow, 

 and purple. If. April — May. In ponds. Very common. 2 — 3 feet. 



Variegated Iris. 



8. I. tripet'ala, (Walt.) Stem slender, columnar. Leaves en.-iforrn. 



Flowers solitary ; exterior segments of the perianth large, interior ones 



very small, 3-toothed. Stiguias 2-toothed near the base. Capsule ob 



