IRIS FAMILY. 417 



++-H- Flowers numerous in a stiff terminal generally 1 sided spike. 



14. GLADIOLUS. Cormous. Stem rather tall, leafy ; flowers irregular, the short-funnel- 

 shaped tube being somewhat curved, and the divisions more or less unequal, the 

 flower commonly oblique or as if somewhat 2-lipped. Perianth tubular at base, the 

 6 divisions all more or less spreading. Stamens separate. Style long. Stigmas 3, 

 more or less dilated. Stamens (inserted on the tube) and style ascending. Leaves 

 sword-shaped, strongly nerved. 



1. IRIS, FLOWER-DE-LUCE, BLUE FLAG. (Greek, the rainbow.") 

 Many interesting and curious species cultivated in choice collections. 

 Flowers spring and early summer. (Lessons, Figs. 58, 59, 395, 396.) 



1. IRIS proper, with creeping rootstocks or rarely the root fibrous. 

 (Native species of our region belong here.) 



* Tall, the several-flowered often branching stems l-3 high ; tube of the 

 flower short ; flowers late spring and summer. 



H- Outer divisions (or "/aZZs") of the perianth beardless and crestless. 

 w Flowers yellow. 



I. Pseucfdcorus, Linn. YELLOW IRIS. Wet marshes in Eu., with very 

 long linear leaves and bright flowers, is sparingly cultivated, and some- 

 times spontaneous. 



*-* ++ Flowers copper-colored or dull reddish-brown. 



I. Mlva, Ker. (I. CUPREA.) Flowers 2' long, the tube about the 

 length of the 6-angled ovary, the divisions spreading; ovary 6-angled 

 and not surpassing the tube of the perianth. Swamps, S. 111., S. 



*- -* + Flowers in shades of blue or purple (rarely white), sometimes 

 spotted and streaked. 



= Leaves flat and broad, sword-shaped. 



I. Icevigata, Fisch. & Mey. (I. K^EMPFERI). JAPANESE IRIS. Tall spe- 

 cies (2-3 high), with very large flowers, which are often or commonly 

 borne singly, and which, in some garden varieties, measure 8'-10' across, 

 and are broad and flat ; outer lobes of the perianth mostly purple with 

 a yellow blotch at the base and often streaked, very large and rounded ; 

 inner divisions commonly bright purple ; leaves thin and pale green ; 

 stem glaucous. Cultivated (from Japan) in many forms and colors. 

 Rhizome short and stout. 



I. trip^tala, Walt. In pine barren swamps, N. Car., S.; with rather 

 short sword-shaped glaucous leaves, and few blue flowers (2'-3' long), 

 variegated with yellow and purple, the inner divisions very short and 

 wedge-shaped, the tube shorter than the 3-angled ovary. 



I. versicolor, Linn. LARGER BLUE FLAG. Stout; stem angled on 

 one side ; leaves sword-shaped, f ' wide ; flowers light blue, variegated 

 with some yellow, white, and purple, hardly 3' long, the inflated tube 

 shorter than the obtusely 3-angled ovary ; pod oblong, 3-angled, the seeds 

 more or less 2-rowed in each cell. Common in swamps. 



I. Caroliniana, Watson. In N. Car.; like the last, but the leaves long 

 and lax, and greener, and the larger seeds in a single row in each cell. 



= = Leaves linear, sometimes stiffish. 



I. prismatica, Pursh. (I. VIRG^NICA). SLENDER BLUE FLAG. Slender, 

 with very narrow leaves, and blue flowers with some white (barely 2' 

 long), on slender peduncles, with hardly any tube beyond the 3-angled 

 ovary. Me. to N. Car. 



27 



