CLASS III. ORDER III. 17 



green, yellow, and white, and veined with purple. Inner petals 

 erect, varying in shape from spatulate to lanceolate, usually 

 paler than the outer, entire or emarginate. Style short, con- 

 cealed ; stigmas three, petal-form, purple or violet, resting ou 

 the outer petals, their extremities bifid, crenate, and more or less 

 reflexed ; their lower lip short. Stamens concealed under the 

 stigmas with oblong-linear anthers. Capsule three celled, three 

 valved ; when ripe, oblong, turgid, three sided, with roundish 

 angles. Seeds numerous, flat. 



Borders of swamps and wet meadows. — June. — Perennial. — 

 The root is a violent einetic. 



The Iris Virginica of Linnaeus, characterized by an ancipilal 

 stem and ensiform leaves, is probably identical with this species. 



Iris prismatica. Pursh. Boston Iris. 



Iris imberbis ; foUis linearibus ; caule tereti, pliiri- 

 floro : germinibiis trigonis, lateribus trisiilcis. 



Flowers beardless ; leaves linear ; stem round, 

 many flowered ; germs triangular, twice grooved on 

 the sides. 



Syn. Iris gracilis. \st edit. 

 Iris Virginica. Torrey. 

 This plant was first described by me in the former edition of 

 this work under the name of I. gracilis. Two years afterwards, 

 Mr. Pursh gave it the name of I. prismatica, which name I am 

 willing to adopt, the other ^having since been bestowed on an 

 African plant. When I sent it to the late Dr. Muhlenberg, he 

 at first pronounced it I. Virginica, but afterwards agreed that it 

 was new. Having a round stem and linear leaves, it certainly 

 wants the Linnsean characteristics of I. Virginica. Its best dis- 

 tinctive character is the doubly grooved germ, which Pursh has 

 overlooked. 



Root fleshy, sending out short runners, from which new plants 

 arise ; stem round, smooth, slender, from one to two feet high, 

 branching at top, bearing several alternate leaves, and from two 

 to eight flowers. Leaves linear, erect, sheathing at their base 

 Bractes or involucres close, becoming dry. Peduncles flattened 

 2# 



