456 



THE GAEDENEE'S ASSISTANT. 



ing, height 1 foot. Likes a sunny, dry situa- 

 tion. 

 unguicularis alba, ivory-white. 



,, speciosa, large flowers, rich-blue. 

 versicolor columnar, bright velvety-purple, height 2 feet. 

 „ var. Fosteri, pale-blue, white and yellow at base. 

 „ Kermesina, claret-red, very handsome, height 2 feet. 



V. — BULBOUS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED IRISES. 1 



I. alata {Scorpion Iris), height 6 to 8 inches, with Leek- 

 like leaves, and pale -blue or lilac flowers. Best 

 grown in pots or in sheltered sunny nooks of rock 

 garden ; alba and Leichtlinii are white and dark- 

 purple forms. Spain and Algeria. 



I. atrofusca, S. claret - brown, veined black, F. brown- 

 black, 3 feet. 



I. atropurpurea, coppery-maroon, with black sheen, 1 foot. 



I. Bakeriana, similar to I. reticulata, S. sky-blue, F. white, 

 spotted dark- violet, sweet-scented. Armenia. 



1. Bismarckiana (Sari nazarena), S. sky-blue, veined 

 purple, F. veined reddish brown-purple on a straw- 

 coloured ground, f foot. 



/. Boissieri, rich-purple, blotch yellow, 9 inches. June. 



/. caucasica, primrose - coloured, with silver -margined 

 foliage, ^ foot. 



/. cristata (fig. 560), amethyst-blue, striped orange, fringed. 

 For sunny sheltered banks, rock work, &c, 3 inches. 

 May. 



/. Danfordiee, yellow, spotted brown. Dry nooks on 

 rockwork, 3 inches. February. Asia Minor. 



I. flavissima Bloudovii, soft-yellow, 9 to 12 inches. May. 



/. Gatesii, large flowers of the Susiana type, creamy-white, 

 tinged rose, veined and spotted silver, 2h feet. June. 



/. Grant-Duffi, sulphur-yellow; may be treated like the 

 Flag Irises. 



7. Helena (Maria 7 ), large, S. bright-lilac, F. purple, veined 

 black, velvety-black blotch. 



I. iberica, handsome flowers, S. satiny - white, veined 

 purple, F. brown-purple, with black blotch, 6 inches. 



I.juncea, golden-yellow, one of the most beautiful, height 

 15 inches. Prefers a warm light soil. 



I. Leichtlini, large handsome flowers, bronzy-brown to 

 lilac, height 1^ foot. 



I. Lorteti, resembles I. Gatesii, but with rose-coloured 

 markings, 1 foot. May. 



I. lupina (Wolf's Fur Iris), curious greenish -yellow 

 flowers, veined brownish - red, and with a heavy 

 beard, resembling a wolf's fur, height h foot. 



I. lusitanica, S. and F. yellow, orange blotch, 1^ foot. 



I. nigricans (Black Iris), purple-black shaded maroon, 

 inside golden-brown. 



I. orchioides, golden-yellow, resembles I. caucasica, 1 foot. 

 April. 



I. persica, white suffused blue, blotched purple and gold, 

 fragrant, height h foot. 



I. reticulata, deep-violet, blotched golden-yellow, violet- 

 scented, f foot. February. 

 „ var. Histrio, bright-blue, blotched golden -yellow, 



earlier than I. reticulata, | foot. 

 „ var. hist?'ioides, azure, earlier and larger than I. 



reticulata. 

 „ var. major, a form with broad falls and standards. 

 „ var. Krelagei, purple, blotched yellow, violet-scented, 

 f foot. 



I. Roscnbachiana, white and rosy- violet, variable, ^ foot. 



i See Prof. M. Foster's Monograph of Bulbous It 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society, London. 



5, published 



I. sindjarensis, flowers white and azure -blue, crested, 



like I. caucasica, 1 foot. March. 

 /. Sisyrinchium, small soft-lavender flowers, blotched 



white, height \ foot. 

 I. Susiana (fig. 561), flowers large, blush, tinted brown, 



with a network of dark lines, height 1 foot. May. 

 I. syriaca. Flowers large and white in form, somewhat 



like I. sindjarensis. 

 I. Tingitana, dark to light blue. Falls lilac and white 



with golden blotch, height 2 feet. May. 

 7. tuberosa (Snakeshead Iris), velvety violet-black and 



green, height f foot. 

 I. Vartani, flowers azure-blue, in Nov. or Dec, ht. \ foot. 



Fig. 562— Iris xiphioides. 



I. xiphioides (English Iris) (fig. 562), a large species 2 

 feet high, from the Pyrenees. Flowers blue or 

 white, or parti-coloured. The following are some of 

 the best named varieties: — Blanche Fleur, Graaf 

 Bentink, Grande Celeste, Hypocrates, King of the 

 Blues, Lilacina Mountain of Snow, Ruby. 



I. Xiphion (vulgare) (Spanish Iris) (see Plate). These 

 flower two to three weeks before the English Iris, 

 and are yellow, blue, white, or bronze-coloured on 

 stiff erect scapes. Very pretty for forcing in pots 

 or for cut flowers. The following are all good and 

 distinct varieties : — Blue Beauty, Carmen, Golden 

 King, Lemon Queen, Louisa, Princess Ida, Snow 

 Queen, The Moor, Thunderbolt. 



[F. W. B.] 



Isoloma, Tydsea, and Nsegelia (fig. 563). 

 — These three genera are somewhat mixed in 

 gardens. They have been intercrossed, and it 

 is difficult to determine to which genus some 

 of the seedlings belong. They all have scaly 

 rhizomes, erect leafy stems, and tubular flowers, 

 usually large and attractive in colour. Many 

 of them bloom during the winter months, at 

 which time they are particularly acceptable, 



