550 FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 
lilac stripes, beard yellow; petals bright lilac; June. Stem about 2 
feet high. Native country unknown. Many varieties. 
I. PsruDAcoRUs (bastard Acorus). Yellow Iris. Leaves sword- 
shaped, glaucous. Flowers orange-yellow; sepals with deeper patch in 
the throat, from which radiate brown veins; April and May. Stem 2 
or 3 feet high.. Native. 
I. puminA (dwarf). Leaves about four, sword-shaped, slightly 
glaucous. Flowers solitary, bright lilac-purple; sepals deeper purple, 
with a dense white beard; April. Scape very short. Native of Europe 
and Asia Minor. Plate 254, 
I. stprrica (Siberia). Leaves slender, ribbed, tufted, 1 foot to 2 feet 
long. Flowers in twos or threes; sepals extensively veined with violet 
on a paler ground; petals slioetes than sepals; stigma lilac-blue; May 
and June. Native af Siberia. 
I. susIANA (native of Susa). Leaves sword-shaped, stem-clasping. 
Flowers solitary, grey, or white, delicately tinged with lilac; sepals and 
petals of similar size and shape, but petals of somewhat brighter tint, 
both spotted and veined with purple-brown; April. Native of the Levant. 
I. VARIEGATA (variegated), Leaves sword-shaped, purple-based, 
tufted, 12 to 18 inches long. Flowers in clusters; sepals deep claret- 
brown, above paling to yellow in the middle, veined with brown and 
bearded with yellow; petals PERE SOROW May. Native of Eastern 
Europe. Many varieties. 
Section II. XIPHIoNns. 
I. ALATA (winged). Leaves lance-shaped, about 10 inches long. 
Flowers fragrant, pale blue; sepals with yellow throat; October to 
December. Introduced from the Mediterranean Region, 1801. 
I. HistTRIO (actor). Leaves slender, grass-like, in pairs, a foot long. 
Flowers solitary, from between the pair of leaves, lilac; sepals with spots 
and streaks of deeper colour and central line of yellow; petals without 
markings ; February. Introduced from Palestine, 1873. 
I. persica (Persian). Leaves slender, recurved, 2 or 3 inches long, 
four or five in a tuft. Flowers with the fragrance of violets, yellowish 
lilac; sepals with wavy edges and a central stripe of bright yellow; 
February and March. Native of Persia and Asia Minor. 
I. RETICULATA (netted). Leaves very slender, four-angled, hollow, 
about 6 inches, as long again after flowering ; about two ina tuft. Flower 
solitary, fragrant, deep violet-purple ; sepals with a central yellow stripe 
and darker markings; February and March. Native of Asia Minor, 
ete. Plate 253. There are several varieties. 
