274 cLi. IBIDEM. (J. D. Hooker.) [Iris. 



crests of style-arms large toothed, capsule 3-gonous with, broad flat sides 

 and a long slender beak. Stveef Brit. Fl. Ga/rd. Ser. ii. t. 11 ; Baker in 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. xvi. 143 ; in Gard. Ohron. 1876, ii. 37. I. decora. Wall. 

 Pl.As.Rar.\.17,i.. 86; Bon in Trans. Liwn. Soc. xviii. 313; Boyle III. 

 372. I. sulcata, Wall. Cat. 5049. Neubeekia decora and sulcata, Klatt 

 in Idnniea, xxxiv. 688, 590. 



Tempebate Himalaya; from the Panjab and Western Tibet eastwards, 

 alt. 5-10,000 ft. Khasia Hills, alt. 5-8000 ft. 



Rootstock with densely fibrous sheaths, and copious fleshy finger-like roots ; stem 

 ^1 ft. ; flower heads 1-2. Leaves 6 in. long at flowering time, elongating to 24 

 by J in., streaked with purple lines and dots. Spathes li-2 in. long, outer valves 

 thin, green, persistent ; pedicels very short. Perianth-t-abe \\ in., limb 1-li in., 

 pale lilac ; blade of sepals \ in. broad, crest yellow ; petals i in. broad ; style-arms 

 1 in. and less. Capsule oblong, trigonous, 1-1^ in., enclosed in the persistent spathes. 

 — Prof. Foster informs me that the roots are characteristic, resembling those of a 

 SemerocalUs. Hemsley (Journ. Linn. Soc. xxviii. 136) mentions a starved form of 

 this, 3-4 in. high, as having been collected in the Shan hills by Gteneral CoUett at 

 4000 ft. elevation. 



§§§ Sepals bearded. 



■f Dwarf species ; stems 12 in. or less. 



8. X. g'ilg'itensis, Balcer mss.; dwarf, leaves linear, flower-heads 

 solitary, spathe 2-fld., pedicels short, perianth-tube long, blade of sepals 

 small narrow oblong much shorter than the strongly bearded claw, petals 

 oblong. 



Western Tibet; at Gilgit, alt. 12,000 ft., Giles. 



Stems tufted, 4-6 in., basal sheaths entire. Leaves flaccid, 6-9 by \—^ in. 

 Spathe 1^—2 in., valves lanceolate green, margins pale. Perianth-tvie less than 1 in., 

 limb Ii in., bright lilac ; blade of sepals J in. broad ; petals clawed ; style branches 

 ^ in., crests small, deltoid. — Difiers from I. Icttmaonensis by the small blade of the 

 sepals. A single specimen only seen. 



9. X- kumaonensis, Wall. Gat. 5052 ; dwarf, leaves linear, flower- 

 head solitary, spathes 1-fld., pedicels very short, perianth-tnbe very long, 

 blade of sepals spreading cuneate obovate as long as the bearded claw, 

 petals erect, blade oblong, capsule ellipsoid or subglobose beaked. Bon in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 311 ; Boyle III. 372 ; Baker in Gard. Ghron. 1876, 

 ii. 709. I. Kingiana, M. Foster in Gard. Ghron. 1887, i. 611 ; Baker in 

 Bat. Mag. t. 6957. I. tigrina, Jacquem. mss. 



Western Himalaya; from Kashmir to Kumaon, alt. 8-12,0C0 ft. 



Stems 2-12 in., crowded ; outer basal sheaths fibrous. Leaves 12-14 by ^ in. 

 Spathes Z-S in., valves lanceolate, ventricose. Perianth-tube 2-2^ in. ; limb 1^2 in., 

 bright lilac ; blade of sepals J in. broad, blotched with darker lilac, beard of claw of 

 yellow-tipped hairs on a white crest, blade of petals ^ in. broad ; style-arms f in. 

 long, crests deltoid acute. Capsule 1-2 in., narrowed at both ends, trigonous, 

 angles obtuse. — Don describes the sepals us blood-red with black-purple spots. 



10. X. g-oniocarpa, BaTcer in Gard. Ghron. 1876, ii. 710 ; in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. xvi. 145 ; dwarf, slender, leaves narrow linear, flower-heads 

 solitary, spathes 1-2-fld., flowers subsessile, perianth-tube long, sepals 

 cuneately-oblong, keel strongly bearded, petals erect, blade oblong, capsule 

 trigonous with broad flat sides and a long slender beak. 



SiEKiM Himalaya, alt. 10-13,000 ft., J. D. S. 

 Stem 6 in., 1-leaved, sheaths fibrous. Leaves 6-8 by ^ in. Spathes 1 in. long 

 valves lanceolate persistent. Perianth-tube ^-f in. ; blade of lilac ? sepals i in. broad • 



