Iris.] 1EIDACE.E. 493 



Order LXXIII. IKIDACE^. 



" Limb of the perianth 6-cleft or 6-partite, sometimes irregular. 

 Stamens 3, inserted into the base of the outer segments. Fila- 

 ments sometimes united. Anthers fixed by their base, opening 

 outwards. Ovary 3-celled, many-seeded. Style 1. Stigmas 3, or 

 1 with 3 divisions, often petaloid or 2-Hpped. Capsule 3-celled, 

 3-valved ; valves bearing the dissepiments in the middle. Seeds 

 round, hard. Albumen horny or firmly fleshy. Embryo with the 

 same direction as the seed. — Herbs, rarely under-shrubs. Leaves 

 equitant {except in Crocus). Flowers spathaceous, sometimes partly 

 subterranean." — Br. Fl. 



I. Iris, Linn. Flag. 



" Perianth 6-cleft, each alternate segment longer and reflexed. 

 Stigmas 3, petaloid, covering the stamens." — Br. Fl. 



1. 1. Pseud-acorus,*!!. Yellow or Water Flag. Perianth beard- 

 less, inner segments smaller than the stigmas, leaves ensiform 

 keeled, seeds angular. Sm. E. Fl. i. p. 49. Br. Fl. p. 427. E. 

 B. ix. t. 578. 



In shallow pools, ditches, streams, wet meadows and low marshy or moory 

 places; abundantly. Fl. May — August. Fr. September. H.. 



E. Med. — Od the Dover, Kyde. Meadow within the walls of Quarr abbey, 

 abundantly, and flowering freely. Most profusely on moory pasture-land along 

 the left of the road at the entrance to Sandown village from Brading, 1849. 

 Fosse of Sandown fort, and wet meadows above AlverstoB, in great profusion. 

 Abundant in wet moory pastures about Newohurch, Mersley, &c., 1844. 



W. Med. — About Cowes, Yarmouth and Newport. 



assume a sort of racemose arrangement, smaller, of a purer white (not cream- 

 colour as in the other) and less erect, the ovary diverging at an angle more or less 

 considerable from the stem, sometimes nearly at aright angle to it. The perianth- 

 segments do not close so completely over the lip, and the sepals are in this spe- 

 cies narrower than the lateral petals, and so acutely pointed as to be almost acu- 

 minate. The lateral petals themselves are also slightly pointed, and much broader 

 in proportion than in C. grandijlora. Moreover, the anterior margin of the lip is 

 usually slightly triangular and pointed, but this character I find liable to excep- 

 tion. Finally, C. ensifolia lasts a shorter time in flower, if it does not begin to 

 flower earlier, than C grandijlora, which continues in blossom through a great 

 part of June, whereas the other has all its terminal buds open by the end of May 

 in this part of England, and was beginning to fall and look shabby on the 27th 

 of that month when my last specimens were gathered. Indeed, the blossoms of 

 this species, from their more delicate texture, fade with wonderful rapidity on 

 being gathered, whilst those of C grandijlora merely turn partially brown. 



* The specific name of False Acorus was given to this plant from the resem- 

 blance its leaves bear to those of the Sweet Flag {Acorus Calamus, L.), not yet 

 detected in this island. The word Flower-de-Luce is said to be corrupted from 

 Fleur-de-Louis, consequent on its adoption as an armorial device by the French 

 king, Louis VII. 



