698 Obdeb 143.— IRIDACB^. 



reflexeii, larger than the 3 erect petals ; stamens distinct ; style short 

 or ; stigmas petaloid, covering the stamens. — Herbs from tuberons, 

 horizontal rhizomes, with ensiform Ivs., and large showy fls. 



§ stems leafy, tall (1 to 3f), mostly bearing several flowers. (*) 



* Sepals and petals beardless. Wild plants seldom cultivated, (a) 



a Leaves linear, grass-like. Ovary and pod 2-grooved on the sides No. 1 



a Leaved sword-sliaped. Flowers blue. Sepals much larger tban petals.. .Nos. 2—4 

 a Leaves .sword-shaped. Flowers tawny or copper-colored, Petals reflexed.. .No. & 



* Sepals or perianth bearded. Cultivated exotics, (b) 



b Stem many-flowored. Flowers blue or whitish. Sepals and petals notched.. No. 6 

 b Stem many-flowered. Flowers deep blue. Spatbes also colored. . 1 Gkrmanica. t 



b Stem 1-flowered, flower striped. Petals reflexed I. Susiana. t 



5 Stem or scape low (2 to 60 and nearly leafless, mostly 1-flowered. (**) 



** Sepals bcnrdlesji, but with 8 longitadinal folds (crested) Sns, 7, 8 



^^ Sepals beardless*, and also crestless. Flower blue No. & 



=*■* Sepals bearded in a longitudinal line. Flowers bright blue No. 10 



1 I. Virginica L. Boston' Ikis. St. round, slender, few-flowered; Ivs. linear, 

 long; fls. beardless; ova. triangular, the side doubly grooved. — In similar situa. 

 lions with the next, readily distinguished by its very slender habit. Mass. to M . 

 J. Ehizoma fleshy. Stem smooth, 1 — 2" in diam., 1 — 2f high, branching at top 

 and bearing 2 — 6 flowers. Braets at the base of the branehes withering. Leaves 

 few, alternate, grass-like, C — 10' long, amplexicaul. Sepals narrow, yellow, edged 

 with purple. Petals linear-lanceolate. Jn. (I. prismatica Ph.) 



2 I. versicolor L. CoMMOJf Blub Flao. St terete, flexuous; Ivs. ensiform; 

 fls. beardless ; petals as long as the stigmas ; ova. triangular, with concave sides and 

 roundish angles. — "Wet grounds, U. S. and Can. Khizoma large, horizontal, acrid. 

 Stem 2 — 3f high, acute on one side, often branched, bearing several large, showy 

 flowersi. Leaves a foot long, \ — 1' wide, erect, sheathing at base. Sepals spatu- 

 late, purple, the elaw variegated with green, yellow and white, with purple lines. 

 Petals erect, paler, a little shorter than the stigmas. Style short, bearing 3-peta- 

 loid stigmas which are bifid at the end, purple or violet, concealing the stamens 

 beneath. Anther oblong ; seeds flat Jn. 



3 I. hexagona "Walt. Six-angled Ikis. Lvs. sword-shaped, longer than the 

 terete, flexuous stem ; spathe 1-flowered ; sep. spatulate, rounded at end, crenii- 

 lato, reflexed, much larger than the oblong-spatulato petals, with a longitudinal, 

 glandular-yellow lino; filam. dilated, linear; stig, deeply 2-elefb; ova. with 3 

 deeply furrowed angles, caps. G-angled. — Swamps and pools, N. Car. to Pla. and 

 Ala., frequent. St 2f high. Fls. bright blue, the sepals variegated with purple, 

 yellow and white, Apr. — Jn. 



4 X trip^tala "Walt Tueee-petaled Ikis. Lvs. linear-ensiform, shorter than 

 the iereje, slender stem ; spathe lanceolate, 1-flowered ; sep. longer than tube, 

 beardless and nearly crestless, many times longer than the rudimentary, 3-iooi?ied 

 petals; stig. 2-toothed near the base ; caps, olscurely Z-angkd, acuminate. — Ponds 

 S. Car. and Ga. (Bachman). Pi,are. St. about 2f high, from a creeping rhizome. 

 Fls. purple. The i)etala mere rudiments, much shorter than the stigmas. Apr. 

 May. 



5 I. cxlprea Ph. St tall, flexuous, angled on one side ; lvs. broad-ensiform, aa 

 long as the stem ; spathe often 2-flowered ; sep. obovate, emarginate, larger than 

 the petals, all reflexed ; stig. linear, dilated at base, half aa long as the petals; 

 capa sharply G-angled, ventrieous. — In river swamps, Ga. to La. (Hale). Sts. 3f 

 high, 4 to 10-flowcred. Perianth tawny (EUiott), of a beautiful copper celor 

 veined with purplo (Pursh), limb spreading 3'. Apr., May. (Ell.), JI (Ph.) 



6 I. sambucina L. Flower-de-Luce. Fr. FLEUE-DE-Lia St. many-flowered, 

 longer than the leaves; segm. of the perianth emarginate, outer ones fiat; Ive. 

 bent inwards at the point; spathe membranaceous at the apex; fls. beardless, 

 lower ones pcdunoulato ; stig. ^rith acute, serrate divisions. — Native of the south 

 of Europe. Common in gardens. The prevailing color of the flower is light 

 blue, often fading to white. May. f 

 7 I. cristata Ait Crested Iris. Lvs. lanceolate-ensiform, as long as the low, 

 compressed scape ; tube of the perianth very slender (2' long), exceeding tlie spathe 

 or the segments ; sep. oblong, obtuse, entire, each with a triple, wavy, longitudinal 

 crest or fold instead of a beard, and equaling the narrower petals ; ova. acut<dy 3- 



