IRIDACE^. 145 



to be recommended. A common English name given to the plant is that of " tho 

 roast-beef plant," owing to the sraeU, which is said by the peasantry to resemble roast 

 beef Linnajus, when he gave the plant its present specific name, must have had a 

 rery different idea of its savoury odour. 



SPECIES II.-IRIS PSEUD-ACORUS. Li>m. 



Plate ilCCCCXCV. 



Eeich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCXLIV. 

 Xiphion Pseud-acorus, Pad. Fl. Ital. Vol. UI. p. 295. 



Rhizome thick, horizontal, creeping. Stem slightly compressed, 

 about as long as the leaves, sparingly branched or simple. Leaves 

 decajdng in winter, broadly linear-ensiform, nearly parallel, straight, 

 glaucous green, dim. Spathes terminal and lateral at the extremity 

 of the main stem, usually terminal only on the branches, herbaceous, 

 with extremely narrow scarious borders. Flowers two or tlu-ee 

 together. Pedicels of the flower opening first in each spathe as long 

 as or longer than the ovary ; those of the other flowers shorter ; all 

 rather shorter than the mature capsule. Free portion of the perianth 

 tube cylindrical, much shorter than the ovary. Sepals obovate- 

 spathulate ; the claw rather narrow ; the lamina much longer and 

 much broader than the claw, oval or suborbicitlar, reflexed, not 

 bearded. Petals erect, from one-fourth to one-sixth the length of the 

 sepals, and one-half to one-third that of the stigmas, oblanceolate or 

 oblong-spathulate, with narrow subparallel claws. Capsule 3-celled, 

 oblong-prismatic, bluntly trigonous, with six faint furrows. Seeds 

 roundish-obdeltoid, much compressed, with parallel faces, and with a 

 hard light brown slightly shining testa. 



Var. a, genuina. 



Iris Psend-acoros, Boreau, PL du Centr. de la Fr. ed. iii. p. 635. 



Sepals deep yellow, with an orange spot at the base of the oval 

 lamina. Petals oblong, rather abruptly attenuated into the claw. 



Var. 3, acoriformis. 



Plate MCCCCXCV. 



I. acoriformis, Boreau, Fl. du Centr. de la Fr. ed. iii. p. C35. 



Sepals deep yellow, with an orange spot at the base of the sub- 

 orbicular lamina. Petals smaller in proportion to the sepals and 

 stigmas than in var, a, and with the lamina gradually attenuated intc 

 the claw. 



VOL. IX. V 



