IRIDAGEyE-IRIS FAMILY 



This is a family of brilliant coloring, consisting entirely of 

 perennial herbs. The leaves arise from bulbs, corms, or root- 

 stocks; are narrow for their length, and enfold each other in two 

 ranks, as if astride; a position known technically as equitant. 



The flowers are usually showy, perfect, either regular or irregu- 

 lar, each subtended by two bracts. The three petals and three 

 petal-like sepals are convolute in the bud; the tube adnate to the 

 three-celled ovary. The stamens are three, either distinct or mono- 

 delphous, alternate with the petals; anthers extrorse. Style 

 single, usually three-cleft. Stigmas three, or six by the parting 

 of the style-branches. Capsule three-celled, many-seeded. 



The garden representatives of the family are Iris, Crocus, 

 Tigridia, Ixia, Gladiolus, Blackberry Lily, and recently some 

 forms of Blue-eyed Grass. 



IRIS. FLEUR-DE-LIS 



Iris. 



Iris, the rainbow, anciently applied to this genus on account of its 

 bright and varied colors. 



About one hundred and seventy species of Iris are known 

 to botanists. These are natives of the North Temperate zone, in- 

 habiting Asia, Europe, and North America, with a few species in 

 northern Africa. The Irises of Europe are in the main broad- 

 leaved species, which give way in Asia to many narrow-leaved 

 forms of which there are representatives upon our Pacific slope. 

 Spain and the Mediterranean regions of Africa are the home of 

 the bulbous forms. 



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