698 Ordbb 143.— IRIDAOB-Si. 



reflexed, larger than the 3 erect petals ; stamens distinct ; style short 

 or ; stigmas petaloid, covering the stamens. — Herbs from tuberous, 

 horizontal rhizomes, with ensiform Ivs., and large showy fls. 



§ stems leafy, tall (1 to Sf ), mostly bearins several flowers. (*) 



* Sepals and petals beardless. , Wild plants seldom cultivated, (a) 



a Leaves linear, grass-like. Ovary aiid pod 2-grooved on the sides : . ,No. 1 



a Leaves sword-shaped. Flowers blue. Sepals much larger than petals. ..Nos. 4—4 

 ■,a Leaves sword-shaped. Flowers tawny or copper-colored, Petals reflexed. ..No. 5 



* 'Sepals or perianth bearded. Cultivated exotics, (b) 



b Steui many-flowered. Flowers blue or whitish. Sepals and petals notched. .No. 6 

 b Stem many-flowered. Flowers deep blue. Spatbes also colored..!. Gebmamica. t 



b Stem 1-flowered, flower striped. Petals reflexed L Susiana. + 



§ Stem or scape low (2 to 60 and nearly leafless, 6)03tly 1-flowered. (**) 



** Sepals beardless, but with 3 longitudinal folds (crested) Nos, 7, 8 



** Sepals beardless, and also ci-estless. Flower blue No. 9 



** Sepals bearded in a longitudinal line. Flowers bright blue No. 10 



1 I, Virginioa L. BoSTOti Iris, St. round, slender, few-flowered; Ivs. linear, 

 long ; fls. beardless ; ova triangular, the side doubly grooved. — ^In similar situa< 

 tions with the next, readily distinguished by its very slender habit, Mass. to N, 

 J. Ehizoma fleshy. Stem smooth, 1 — 2" in diam., 1 — 2f high, branching at top 

 and bearing 2 — 6 flowers. Bracts at the base of the branches withering. Leaves 

 few, alternate, grass-like, 6 — 10' long, amplexicaul. Sepals narrow, yellow, edged 

 with purple. Petals linear-lanceolate. Jn. (I. prismatica Ph.) 



2 I. versicolor L. Commok Blue Flag. "^St terete, fiexuous; Jva. ensiform; 

 fls. beardless ; petals as long as the stigmas ; ova. triangvtar, with concave sides ami 

 roundish angles. — Wet grounds, U. S. and Can. Ehizoma large, horizontal, acrid. 

 Stem 2 — 3f high, acute on one side, often branched, bearing several large, showy 

 flowers. Leaves a foot long, \ — 1' wide, erect, sheathing at base. Sepals spatu- 

 late, purple, the claw, variegated with green, yellow and white, with purple lines. 

 Petals erect, paler, a little shorter than the stigmas. Style short, bearing 3-peta- 

 loid stigmas which are bifid at the end, purple or violet, concealing the stamens 

 beneath. Anther oblong ; seeds flat Jn. 



3 L hexdgona Walt. Six-angled Iris. Lcs. sword-shaped, longer them iht 

 terete, flexuous stem ; spathe 1-fiowered ; sep. spatulate, rounded at end, erenu- 

 late, reflexed, much larger than the oblong-spatulate petals, with a longitudinal, 

 glandular-yellow line; JUam. dilated, linear; stig, deeply 2-clefl;; ova. with 3 

 deeply furrowed angles, caps. G-angled. — Swamps and pools, N. Car. to Ma. and 

 Ala., frequent. St, 2f high. Fls. bright blue, the sepals variegated with purple, 

 yellow and white. Apr. — Jn. 



4 I. trip^tala Walt. Theee-petaled Iris. Lvs. linear-ensiform, shorts than 

 the terete, slender sierra; spathe lanceolate, 1-flowered; sep. longer than tube, 

 beardless and nearly orestless, many times longer than the rudimenta/ry, 3-tooOied 

 petals ; stig. 2-toothed near the base ; caps, obscurely ^-angled, acuminate. — ^Ponds 

 S. Car. and Ga. (Bachman). Rare. St. about 2f high, from a creeping rhizome. 

 Fls. purple. The petals mere rudiments, much shorter than the stigmas. Apr. 

 May. 



5 I. cCiprea Ph. St. tall, flexuous, angled on one side ; lvs. broad-ensiform, aa 

 long as the stem ; spathe often 2-flowered ; sep. obovate, emarginate, larger than 

 the petals, all reflexed; stig. linear, dilated at base, half as long as the petals; 

 caps, sharply 6-angIed, ventricous. — In river swamps, Ga. to La. (Hale). Sts. 3f 

 high, 4 to lO-flowered, Perianth tawny (Elliott), of a beautiful copper color 

 veined with purple (Pursh), limb spreading 3', Apr., May. (Ell.), Jl. (Ph.) 



6 I. sambucina L. Flower-de-Luoe. Fr. FLEUR-DE-Lia St, many-flowered, 

 longer than the leaves ; segm. of the perianth emarginate, outer ones flat ; lvs. 

 bent inwards at the poiiit; spathe membranaceous at the apex; fls. beardless, 

 lower ones pedunculate ;• stig. with acute, serrate divisions. — Native of the souUi 

 of Europe. Common in gardens. The prevailing color of the flower is light 

 blue, often fading to white. May. f 

 7 I. cristata Ait. Crested Ieis. Lvs. lanceolate-ensiform, as long as the low, 

 compressed scape ; tube of the perianth very slender (2' long), exceeding, ike spathe 

 or the segments ; sep. oblong, obtuse, entire, each with a triple, wavy, longitvdinai 

 crest or fold instead of a beard, and equaling the narrower petals; ova, acutely 3- 



