934 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDJEN PLANTS 



lEIS 



Culture and Propagation. — I. ungui- 

 cularis (which is much better known as 

 I. stylosa) is hardy enough in most parts 

 of the British Islands, but owing to the 

 delicacy of its beautiful flowers, which 

 appear at the worst period of the year, it 

 is not likely to show to advantage unless 

 the wet can be kept off the blossoms. A 

 position sheltered from driving rains 

 should be chosen for the plants. Grown 

 in pots they make excellent displays in 

 greenhouses and conservatories during the 

 winter ; but under a south wall, where 

 they can have the protection of a hand- 

 light or frame, they look very handsome 

 and flower freely. Increased by division. 



I. variegata. — A very handsome 

 Austrian Iris of the germanica group, 

 with tufts of sword-like leaves 12-18 in. 

 long, purple at the base. Flowers in May 

 and June, several on a glaucous stem 

 12-18 in. high ; falls oblong, narrowed at 

 the base, deep claret-brown with a bright 

 yellow beard and brown veins on a yellow 

 ground; standards erect, oblong, bright 

 lemon-yellow. There are many beautiful 

 garden forms of this species having various 

 shades of yellow, bronze and purple 

 predominating, although alba with white 

 flowers is an exception. They may aU be 

 grown in masses in the same way as the 

 German Iris. 



I. lurida is closely related to I. 

 variegata, but has narrower leaves and 

 flowers early in April, and has the upper 

 half of the falls and standards of a dead 

 purple colour. 



/. squalens from a botanical point of 

 view also comes very near lurida, and it 

 is possible that many of the forms under 

 /. hybrida have been derived from the 

 intercrossing of these forms. 



Culture (ic. as above for ' Bearded 

 Irises,' p. 917. 



I. Vartani. — A curious little bulbous 

 Iris from the neighbourhood of Nazareth, 

 with ovoid netted bulbs and 4-sided horny- 

 tipped leaves 4-6 in. long at the time of 

 flowering. Flowers 3-4 in. across, ap- 

 pearing about October. The predomina- 

 ting colour is slaty-blue or dull lavender ; 

 the falls having a yellow or white blade 

 with black dots on the claw. 



Culture Sc. as above for I. baheri- 

 a/n,a and ' Bulbous Irises ' generally. See 

 p 917. This species is of botanical rather 

 than flower-garden value. 



I. versicolor. — A beautiful Beardless 

 Iris from N. America with rather glaucous 

 sword-shaped leaves and clusters of large 

 claret-purple flowers borne in May and 

 June on forked roundish stems 1-2 ft. 

 high. The standards aVe paler in colour 

 than the much larger falls, which are- 

 beautifully veined with deep purple. 

 There is much variation in the colour 

 and several forms exist, that known 

 as kermesina having lilac standards and 

 reddish-lilac falls net-veined with whitc 

 Iris virginica is considered to be a form 

 of this, having bright lilac flowers. 



Culture dc. as above for ' Beardless- 

 Irises,' p. 917. 



I. xiphioides (/. a/ngUca; I. pyrenaica; 

 Xiphion latifolium). — English Iris. — A 

 beautiful Pyrenean Iris ha-ying bulbs with 

 brown coats which when old become 

 more or less shaggy. The leaves are 

 stouter and broader than those of the 

 Spanish Iris, and do not appear until 

 spring. Flowers in July, of a rich deep 

 blue in the -wild type, with a conspicuous 

 golden keel on the rounded fiddle-shaped 

 fall. 



There are now a large number of 

 cultivated forms of the English Iris, vary- 

 ing in colour from blue and through various 

 hues of purple to red and pure white. In 

 catalogues many distinctive names -wdll 

 be found, some of the best forms being 

 Blanche Fleur, La Si/ncerite, Oriental, 

 and Mont Blanc among the whites, the 

 latter being a particularly fine form ; Anna 

 Maria, Bleu mo2i rant, Clio, Conquerant, 

 Charles Dickens, Ceres, I'Obscurite, and 

 Nimrod, among the hlac, blue and purple 

 and violet shades ; Masterpiece and Nim- 

 rod, blackish-purple ; Duke of Portland, 

 La Triomphanfe, and Penelope, among 

 the white and rose, or purple-spotted and 

 striped shades. There are many other 

 names all differing according to the 

 particular catalogue. 



Culture and Propagation. ^'Eng^sh 

 Irises are excellent border flowers, and 

 have the advantage of flowering later than 

 their equally beautiful relative the Spanish 

 Iris. They flourish in ordinary hght 

 garden soil of a more or less sandy nature, 

 but like plenty of moisture during the 

 period of growth. They are best not 

 distiirbed for 2 or 3 years, during which 

 time they will have greatly increased. 

 When divided about August or early in 

 September the bulbs should be replanted 



