IRISES 



87 



Typical German Iris Bloom 



s, standard, p, pistil; c. crest of pistil; st. p, 



stigmatic pocket; st, stamen; f, fall; t, tube; 



sp, spathe valve; o, ovary; r, reticulation; 



b, beard. 



A discussion of Iris is not 

 complete without a short con- 

 sideration of the way the 

 German Iris came about. The 

 dwarf German Iris is derived 

 from I. pumila and a number 

 of other dwarf species. The 

 tall varieties are the result of 

 I. variegata, a species with 

 yellow standards and ma- 

 hogany marked falls; I. pal- 

 lida, a very pale blue species 

 with the two spathe valves 

 (shown in sketch) always very 

 papery and dry; I. germanica, 

 a deep violet species, earlier 

 than the others; I. florentina, 

 a pale lavender white; I. 



flavescens, a very good light yellow. Various combinations of these 

 species have given the following eight groups of German Iris: I. 

 variegata, pallida, florentina, sambucina, neglecta, squsjens, amcena, 

 plicata. There are other bearded species of Iris worthy of culture, 

 such as I. mesopotamica, benacensis, cypriana, Kochii and Caterina. 

 It is interesting to know that Iris florentina, the old-fashioned 

 sweet, early-blooming, pale lavender- white species, is the orris-root 

 of commerce and believed to be the original of the Fleur-de-lis, or 

 French national floral emblem. The belles of ancient Greece grew 

 it both for flowers and root, and the growing of this root is a leading 

 industry of northern Italy. The rhizomes are dug in the Summer 

 and peeled to remove the outer bark. The separate joints are laid 

 aside to dry until the end of two years, when they will have acquired 

 a delicate fragrance of Violets. The root pieces, which have a white 

 appearance, are brought to the market of perfumers who powder them 

 for dentifrices or sachet powders, or when distilled with water form the 

 oil of orris, the basis of many perfumes. 



Almost all Irises like sun. The best fertilizers for them are wood- 

 ashes" and bonemeal. The German Iris likes lime; the Japanese Iris 

 is thought to not like a calcium soil. Most Irises are sensitive to 

 active manure. After the first year there will be little need for pro- 

 tecting any but the weakest plants. 



They are best transplanted after blooming, when the leaves 

 have matured; this ,will be in August or September, not much later, 

 for roots should become established before freezing. The Spring is 



