Iridacece Iris. 475 



It is distinguished from the preceding by its dwarf stem and 

 early flowers, which appear towards the end of Winter, before 

 the leaves are fully developed. It is very hardy and admirably 

 adapted for edging beds or borders. 



14. /. tuber osa. From Greece and Western Asia. Like 

 the last, it was formerly in great request in our gardens, but 

 has now also fallen into oblivion. The flowers are rather above 

 the medium size, with the three outer segments of a dark 

 purple, slightly reflexed and arched ; the three interior are 

 erect and greenish. This is a very hardy species, flowering a 

 little later than the Persian. 



15. /. reticulata. From the Crimea, differing in more than 

 one respect from all the other species here enumerated. Each 

 flowering stem bears only two leaves, which are quadrangular 

 and longer than the stems. The flowers are solitary, with a 

 long tube, giving them the appearance of being pedunculate. 

 Their colour is of the brightest purpte variegated with mar- 

 blings of a darker tint and a large spot of yellow on the outer 

 segments, with a delicious odour of violets. This is a very 

 hardy and extremely handsome species. 



16. /. scorpioldes. An Algerian species, differing from all 

 the foregoing in its leaves, which are almost flat. and very like 

 those of the common Leek. The flower is solitary, of a very 

 bright blue, with a yellow spot on each of the outer segments. 

 The three interior perianth-segments are small and incon- 

 spicuous. It requires slight protection. 



9. GLADIOLUS. 



- A very extensive and beautiful genus of hardy and half-hardy 

 bulbous plants, a few of which are natives of the South of 

 Europe and Asia Minor, but the great majority are from South 

 Africa.. Plants with corms or bulb-like rhizomes, and erect 

 slender leafy stems. Leaves broad and strongly nerved or 

 narrow. Flowers spiked or racemose, in some species fragrant, 

 displaying almost every shade and tint of colour imaginable, 

 Perianth-tube curved, widening upwards, more or less irregular. 

 Stigmas 3, flattened upwards. Named from the Latin gladius, 

 a sword, in allusion to the resemblance of the leaves. 



Among the European species frequently seen in old gardens we 

 may mention G. communis, a pretty quite hardy plant throwing 

 up numerous spikes of rose-purple flowers in July. There are 

 likewise white and flesh-coloured varieties of this species. G. 

 is a similar plant with larger flowers o'f a brighter 



