48 IRIS VERNA.—SPRING IRIS. 
a large number of varieties have been obtained of much 
superior beauty to the originals. Floriculture has not yet had 
the same devoted skill and attention bestowed on it in the New 
World, and hence many of our beautiful plants are awaiting 
some energetic florist’s care to rival in beauty and variety some 
of the famous race of florists’ flowers of Europe. Our spring 
Iris offers great inducements for such nice work as this, and if 
once improved would no doubt not only be popular as a spring 
flower, but there would be the addition of the fragrance which it 
possesses, for most of the popular races of improved Irises of the 
gardens are wanting in this great attraction. There is no doubt 
it would readily change under the hands of the florists, as there 
seem to be variations in nature. Gronovius, already quoted, 
speaks of Clayton having found one with pure white flowers ; 
and Peter Collinson, in a letter to John Bartram, dated March 
4th, 1764, refers to his “true correspondent, Mrs. Logan,” 
sending him “what she calls a white Iris from Georgia,” but 
whether certainly of this species we cannot tell. 
Gronovius says the vernal Iris was reputed to have medicinal 
qualities, and Dr. Peyre Porcher seems to confirm this by 
remarking that “it is said to possess properties similar to those 
of the L. versicolor.’ The chief of these properties may be 
given in the language of Bartram that “the root is considered 
by the Indians a very powerful cathartic, and it is found in 
artificial ponds made for the purpose near their villages.” 
For the plant from which our drawing was made we are 
indebted to Prof. Sargent, of the Cambridge Botanical Garden. 
EXPLANATIONS OF THE PLATE.—1. Leaf growth of last year with flower bud the following 
spring arising from its base. 2, Terminal growth of the previous year, 
