928 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



lEIS 



Western Turkestan and Bokhara, re- 

 markable for its very large bulbs, some- - 

 times as large as a goose's egg. The 

 flowers, 2-3 in. across, are borne in March 

 and April all along the stems, which are 

 I5-2 ft. high, and are bare in the inter- 

 nodes between the clasping glossy green 

 leaves, narrower and less horny on the 

 margins than those of J. caucasica, to 

 which this species is related. They are of 

 a rich dazzling yellow, with or without a 

 greenish tint or spot, the oblong reflexed 

 falls being variously spotted, blotched, 

 and veined with violet. 



The variety ccerulea has pale blue or 

 lavender flowers, the ridge of the fall 

 being yellow with lavender blotches, the 

 whole blade being sometimes creamy- 

 yellow. In the variety oculata the 

 yellow flowers have blue blotches on the 

 fall, and linifoUa has yellow flowers and 

 extremely narrow leaves. 



Culture <tc. as above for ' Bulbous 

 Irises,' p. 917. I. orohioides flourishes 

 best in a rich stiffish rather than sandy 

 loam, in warm sunny positions, and seems 

 to be perfectly hardy. 



I. pallida. — A splendid Flag of the 

 germamica type, native of the Mediter- 

 ranean region, having tufts of sword- 

 shaped leaves 12-18 in. long. Flowers in 

 June, on stems 2-3 ft. high, emitting a 

 sweet fragrance like that of orange- 

 blossom, and varying in colour from 

 bright slaty-lilac to deep Hlao-purple, the 

 falls having a bright yellow beard towards 

 the base, which is veined with bright lilac 

 on a white ground. There are several 

 fine garden forms of this species having 

 various shades of lilac and purple flowers, 

 among the best varieties being austraUs, 

 Celeste, Cypriana, dahnatica, and Queen 

 of Mcuy. They are all effective, especially 

 when in bold masses, and are readily in- 

 creased by division. 



Culture dtc. as above for 'Bearded 

 Irises,' p. 917. 



' I. paradoxa. — A singular Oncocyclus 

 Iris, native of Western Persia and the 

 Caucasus, having slender compact rhizomes 

 and few narrow short more or less sickle - 

 shaped leaves. The specific name pcwa- 

 doxa alludes to the great disproportion 

 between the small strap-shaped stout and 

 almost leathery fall, half an inch or less 

 wide, spreading horizontally and ending 

 in a rounded apex, while the standard 

 is large roundish and erect, and delicate 



and flimsy in texture. In the typical 

 species the standard is veined with deep 

 violet or bluish-violet, the intervening 

 spaces being of a paler tint. Over the 

 claw of the standard and along a median 

 streak the colour is creamy- white, densely 

 dotted with violet. The style is brownish- 

 yeUow with lines of dark purple spots. 

 Like other species this varies a good deal 

 in size and colour, some varieties having 

 white or red-purple standards, the general 

 effect being very attractive. 



Culture dc. as above for ' Oncocyclus 

 Irises,' p. 918. 



I. persica (/. bulbosa persica ; Xiphion 

 persicum). — A charming little bulboiis 

 Iris, native of Persia and the more sou- 

 thern parts of Eastern and Central Asia 

 Minor, sometimes with ovoid bulbs as 

 large as a hen's egg, and linear lance- 

 shaped, tapering, more or less arched 

 leaves. Flowers in February and March, 

 2-3 in. across, violet-scented, usually 

 borne singly on the scarcely visible stem, 

 but occasionally 2-3 flowers at a time. 

 The oblong spoon-shaped wavy falls are 

 of a pale bluish-green or whitish colour 

 with a conspicuous and beardless bright 

 yellow keel, in front of which are blotches 

 and spots of deep almost black violet. The 

 \axi&ty purpurea is almost entirely of a 

 dark reddish-purple colour with an orange 

 ridge on the fall, and a deeper tint in 

 front. Other varieties are light purple, 

 almost lavender, yellowish-lilac, sea-green 

 &c., but all have a conspicuous patch of 

 deep purple-violet or even black in front 

 of the orange or yellow keel. Differing 

 from all ordinary varieties of J. persica 

 is one named Isaacsoni by Sir Michael 

 Foster. This variety is characterised by 

 having extremely sickle -like leaves with 

 horny ridges. The fall is creamy-white 

 in front tinged with green and broken by 

 thick violet veins which, rmining parallel 

 to the median violet-dotted yellow streak 

 on the claw, form a conspicuous violet 

 zone around the ridge on the blade. There 

 is no patch of deep colour in front as in 

 the other forms. 



Culture and Propagation. — I. per- 

 sica and its varieties, although perfectly 

 hardy, require mild warmth when 

 bloomiing, and after growth is fin- 

 ished the plants require to be ripened 

 by heat and drought. A stiffish loamy 

 soil seems to suit them better than a 

 sandy peat as usually recommended, and 



