418 IKIS FAMILY. 



/. gramlnea, Linn. Root leaves 2-3 long, and often surpassing the 

 1-3-flowered stem ; flower purple-blue, with yellow in the throat, slightly 

 fragrant, with narrow divisions. Cult. S. Eu. 



/. tuberbsa, Linn. SNAKE'S-HEAD IRIS. Leaves very long, often 

 twice or thrice longer than the 1-flowered stem (which is 12'-18' high) ; 

 inner perianth divisions erect and light colored, the outer drooping and 

 black-purple ; root short, almost bulb-like. S. Eu. 



- - Outer divisions of the perianth bearded or crested. 



- Flower mostly solitary and terminal, very large, streaked with brown- 

 black. 



I. Susiana, Linn. A curious species from Persia, not quite hardy in the 

 N. States ; all divisions of the perianth large and limp, rounded, about 

 equal in size, marked with dark spots and lines on a lilac-white ground. 

 Stem 10'-18' high, at flowering time (early spring), exceeding the broad- 

 ish leaves. 



*- + Flowers generally few or several, of ordinary size. 



= Body color of the flowers blue or violet. 



I. hexagona, Walt. S. Car. and S., near the coast ; with simple stem, 

 narrowish long leaves, and deep blue variegated flowers, 4' long, the outer 

 divisions crested, the tube longer than the 6-angled ovary. 



/. Germdnica, Linn. COMMON FLOWER-DE-LUCE of the gardens, with 

 very large, scentless flowers, the deep violet pendent outer divisions 3' 

 long, the obovate inner ones nearly as large, lighter and bluer. Eu. 



/. sambticina, Linn. ELDER-SCENTED F. Taller, 3 or 4 high, and 

 longer-leaved ; the flowers about half as large as in the preceding, the 

 outer divisions less reflexed, violet, but whitish and yellowish toward the 

 base, painted with deeper-colored lines or veins ; upper divisions pale 

 grayish- or brownish-blue ; spathe broadly scarious-margined. S. Eu. 



/. squalens, Linn. Very like preceding, with longer dull violet outer 

 divisions to the flower whitish and striped at base, and purplish-buff- 

 colored inner divisions. Eu. and Asia. 



= = Body color of the flowers white, mostly with markings of yellow. 



I. variegata, Linn. Flowers small, with spatulate-obovate divisions 2' 

 long, white with pale yellow, the outer divisions veined with dark purple 

 and purplish-tinged in the middle. Eu. 



/. Florentine!, Linn. FLORENCE or SWEET F. Stems 2-3 high, with 

 broad leaves, and white faintly sweet-scented flowers, bluish- veined, the 

 obovate outer divisions 2i'-3' long, with yellow beard. Its violet-scented 

 rootstock yields orris root. S. Eu. 



* * Dwarf, with simple very short stems (or only leafy tufts'), l-3-flowered 

 in early spring, from creeping and branching slender (or thickened in 

 Lpumila} rootstocks, here and there tuberous-thickened; flowers violet- 

 blue, with a long slender tube. 



*- Outer perianth lobes crestless. 



I. v^rna, Linn. SLENDER DWARF IRIS. Wooded hillsides, from Penn. 

 and Ky., S.; with linear grassy leaves, tube of flower about the length of 

 its almost equal divisons, which are on slender orange-yellow claws, the 



outer ones crestless. 



- <- Outer lobes crested. 



I. cristata, Ait. Along the Alleghanies, and W., sometimes cult.; 

 with lanceolate leaves, or the upper ovate-lanceolate ; tube of flower (2' 

 long), much longer than the scarcely stalked divisions, the outer ones 

 crested ; pod sharply triangular. 



