WATER-LOVING SPECIES 63 



wiry stem, and small, blue flowers of the shape of /. 

 sibirica. It is not common in cultivation, but is a very 

 graceful little plant. 



Lastly we must notice the Himalayan member of the 

 group, 7. Clarkei. It is distinguished by a solid stem and 

 by peculiar foliage. In habit it is not unlike /. orientalis, 

 while the flowers faintly resemble those of /. Delavayi. 

 In colour they vary considerably, and may be either blue 

 or purple of various shades. 



The mention of Delavayi as a water-loving species leads 

 naturally to the consideration of others that do well in 

 moist positions. One of our two native Irises, 7. Pseuda- 

 corus, is well worthy of a place in any garden, and is more- 

 over very accommodating. It will grow and flower well, 

 although producing somewhat smaller flowers, even in dry 

 Surrey sand. Colour variations of this are numerous, 

 for some are pure yellow without the usual brown mark- 

 ings on the base of the blade, and there are also several 

 pale primrose forms, one of which is known as Bastardi. 

 This Iris is common in moist places all over Europe, and 

 extends even into North Africa and Syria. Attempts have 

 even been made to see in it the Fleur-de-lys of the French 

 kings, and to derive Jts adoption as an emblem, from the 

 fact that its yellow flowers indicated a ford over a diffi- 

 cult river to a king, who was hard pressed by the Saracens. 

 The account is ingenious but not necessarily authentic. 



In America the place of this Iris is taken by a some- 

 what closely related species, 7. versicolor (syn. 7. mrginica). 

 In habit it is not unlike 7. Pseudacorus, nor is the shape of 

 the flowers very different. The colour, however, is totally 

 unlike, for it is always some shade of red- or blue-purple. 



