mis FAMILY 



GERMAN IRIS 



Ms germdnica. 



Typical of many species in which the beard is confined to the midrib 

 of the reflexed perianth segment. The German Irises of the garden 

 are not simply varieties of Iris germanica, but hybrids of various species. 

 They appear in endless variety, varying in stature, size, coloring, and 

 time of flowering. 



Root.—Ol thickened creeping rootstocks, more or less tuberous. 



Stem.— Erect, simple or branched, bearing flowers, solitary or 

 panicled. 



ieat/e^.— Ascending, equitant, parallel-veined, sword-shaped. 



F^owew.— Perfect, proceeding from a somewhat papery spathe of two 

 or more bracts. 



Perianth. — Of six-clawed segments united below into a tube, convo- 

 lute in the bud. Segments in two rows; outer segments reflexed, 

 bearded on the midrib; inner segments erect, overarching the centre of 

 the flower, always narrowed to a distinct claw. 



Stamens. — Three, inserted at the base of the outer segments; the 

 oblong anthers on slender filaments, sheltered under the overarching, 

 petal-hke branches of the style and looking outward. 



Ovary. — At the base of the flower, protected by the papery bracts, 

 three-celled, many-seeded; style divided into three petal-like branches, 

 which are bifid or crested at the lip; the stigmatic surface is a thin lip 

 or plate under the parted apex. 



Fruit. — A capsule, containing many shining seeds. 



The Iris has been called the poor man's orchid; certainly few 

 orchids have finer flowers than the best of the Irises, and in grace 

 and dignity the Iris plant far outranks the orchid. 



The structure of an Iris flower is extremely puzzling to an 

 amateur because the parts are so grown together. Ovary, per- 

 ianth, and style unite to transform the lower part of the blossom 

 into a sort of stem, and the upper part of this stem sometimes be- 

 comes tubular before it divides; sometimes the division takes place 

 directly. The perianth divides into six segments of which the 

 outer or sepaloid ones have great beauty, both of form and color, 

 becoming bearded and many-veined, broad and reflexed. The 



So 



