IRIS 195 



CHAPTER X 



1n0 



I HAVE already sung the song of the Irids, of those that 

 dwell favourably and fittingly upon the rock-work ; but 

 of the stately species that remain, there are many that must 

 have a place upon the upper and lower slopes of my bank. 

 First, as to exclusions : all the German Flag- Irises, all the 

 bearded Irises, Statellae, Ciengialtii, hiflora, sambucina, 

 pallida, hexagona and pearly florentina are best fitted for 

 the open border and for deep soil on the higher, dryer 

 shelves of the big rock-work. So also are the smaller 

 species of the group, attica, bosniaca, and the rest. Nor 

 can I distinguish accurately and describe ; as my Irises 

 arrive, I cast away their labels in a frenzy of dislike for 

 such disfigurements, and in arrogant hope that I may 

 perhaps remember the different kinds apart. The result 

 is a state of chaos with which it would take a specialist 

 to cope. Not to mention that the nomenclature of Iris 

 is unsatisfactory. I know that my tricuspis — a pretty 

 grassy thing, with purple, tricorn flowers — is not 

 genuine ; I suspect my tolmieana too, and hover in doubt 

 as to many of the others. What of a small intermediate 

 Flag- Iris with big flowers of a curious greenish yellow, 

 like blown glass ; am I right in daring to remember that 

 this is attica ? It arrived in a bale from Servia, hung 

 about with indecipherable labels, and I know that attica 

 was comprised in that consignment, which also concluded 



