IRIS FAMILY 



IXIA 



Ixia, Greek, birdlime; in allusion to the sticky juice of some species. 



South African plants introduced into England and Holland in the 

 latter half of the eighteenth century. They have been crossed and im- 

 proved by the Dutch growers with whom they are still a specialty. 



Rootstock. — A corm. 

 Stem. — Unbranched. 

 Leaves. — Linear. 



Flowers. — Salver-shaped, borne in spikes. 



Perianlh-tube. — Cylindrical, with six, equal, spreading segments. 

 Stamens. — Three, inserted in the throat. 



Ovary. — Terminating in a thread-like style with three, slender, re- 

 curved stigmas. 



The Ixias are a horticultural group of early-blooming bulbous 

 plants originally from the Cape of Good Hope. Silence of the 

 catalogues as to the parentage of the many varieties shows clearly 

 that the present garden forms are hybrids whose origin is not 

 very well understood. 



The flowers are borne in spikes and exhibit an exceptionally 

 wide range of color: white, varied yellows, orange, lilac, rose, 

 pink, crimson, varied purples, ruby-red, pale-blue, and even green. 

 The flowers are either of solid color or appear with an eye. 



TIGRIBIA. TIGER FLOWER 



Tigridia pavbma. 



Tigridia, tiger-like; referring to the peculiarly marked flowers. 



A summer-blooming bulb; first sent from Mexico to Spain by Her- 

 nandez, physician to Philip II, because of supposed medicinal qualities; 

 reached England in 1796. 



Corm. — Ovoid, an inch and a half in diameter. 

 Leaves. — Lanceolate, about a foot high and an inch wide. 



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