PLATE XLV. 



IRIS LONGIFOLIA. 



Long-leaved Iris. 



CLASS III. ORDER I. 

 TRIJNDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal. 



GENERIC 



Calyx. Spathae bivalves, flores dittinguentes, 

 perfiftentes. 



Corolla fexpartita; petala oblonga, obtufa, 

 tria exteriora reflexa, tria interiora erecta, 

 acutiora; omnia unguibus conata. 



Stamina. Filamenta tria, fubulata, petalis re- 

 flexis incumbentia. Antherae oblongae, 

 rectae, deprefiae. 



Pistillum. Gertnen inferum, oblongum. Sty- 

 lus (implex, brevillimus. Stigma maximum, 

 tripartitum, laciniis petala mentientibus, 

 latis, reflexis, fiamina et petala alterna de- 

 primentibus, apicibus biridis. 



Pericarpium. Capfula oblonga, angulata, tri- 

 loculare, ttivalvis. 



Semina plurima, ovata, glabra. 



CHARACTEF. 

 II Empalement. Sheaths of two valves, feparat- 

 ing the flowers, permanent. 



Blossom with fixdivifions; petals oblong, blunt, 

 the three outer ones reflexed, the three in- 

 ner ones upright, and iharper; all connected 

 by the claws. 



Chives. Threads three, awl-fhaped, laying on 

 the reflexed petals. Tips oblong, flraight, 

 deprefled. 



Tointal. Seed-bud beneath, oblong. Shaft 

 Ample, very fliort. Summit very large, di- 

 vided into three fegments.refembling petals, 

 broad, bent back, and alternately prelling 

 down the chives and petals, cleft at the ends. 



Seed-vessel. Capfule oblong, angular, of three 

 cells, and three valves. 



Seeds many, egg-lliaped, and fmooth. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Iris foliis linearibus, canaliculars, longiflimis, 

 glaucis; fcapus teres, multiflorus; radix 

 bulbofus. 



Iris with linear, channelled leaves, very long, and 

 bluifh; flower-flem cylindrical, with many 

 flowers; the root bulbous. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The two Sheaths of the Empalement. 



2. The Chives as attached to the Seed-bud. 



3. The Pointal complete. 



This Iris is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and was introduced to us from the collection of 

 Meflrs. Voorhelm and Schnevoght, of Haarlem in Holland, about the year 17p2. The leaves of this 

 delicate Iris grow fometimes to the length of three feet, giving it a very lingular appearance: it 

 fhould be treated like the Cape Ixias, and protected from the weather, whilft in bloom, as the flower 

 is injured by the lighten: wind, and the duration of each bloflbm is but a few hours; there is, however, 

 a good fucceflion, which rife diurnally from the fame flieath, feldom more than one at a time. This 

 figure was taken in the month of June 1797, at the Hammerfmith nurfery. It has a lingular mode 

 of propagating itfelf; the old root dying, two young ones are formed above it, from whence the flower- 

 flem arifes: feldom ripe feeds are produced. 



