242 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



(of which it is often given as a synonym) ; the origin of the Japanese 



florists' forms of the latter remains to some extent mysterious. 

 /. Lamancei recovers its original name foliosa. The Californian group 

 have been the subject of minute study, and here again simplification 

 of the list is the result. /. versicolor is identified with /. virginica. 

 (I have a letter from Sir M. Foster which makes this clear.) The 

 longipetala group and the setosa group were also sadly tangled, but we 

 have now at least clues to the maze. The anomalous I. verna is 

 removed from its uncongenial place in the Pardanthopsis section. 

 '/. lacustris becomes a local form of /. cristata. Perhaps I may 

 add my experience that the former, if more difficult to obtain, is the 

 easier form to cultivate. The propagation of these from " cuttings " 

 is recommended, and I can testify to the soundness of the advice. 

 In the naming of the Oncocyclus group considerable concession is 

 made to gardeners — perhaps a somewhat ironical boon, as for most 

 gardeners this extraordinary group has but an academic interest. 

 Those who still refuse to admit defeat in the struggle may like to try 

 Mr. Dykes' plan of " cold storage " of the rhizomes. In the Regeiia 

 group — which, by the way, presents no real difficulty in cultivation, 

 and, unlike the wayward Oncocycli, is extremely rewarding — /. 

 Leichtlini and I. vaga become one species under the name /. stolonifera 

 while /. Suworowi becomes /. darwasica. I. Alberti is now put 

 into a class of Asiatic Pogoniris (along with the even less familiar 

 scariosa and imbricata), instead of being among the Pseudevansias : 

 and the older idea that it requires the same kind of fuss as the 

 Oncocyclus group seems to be exploded. But where is it to be 

 obtained ? I have known /. graminea to be sold under this name ! 

 I. arenaria appears as a local form of I. flavissima. Probably the 

 most difficult classificatory problem of all is presented by the dwarf 

 Pogonirises, which Foster hoped to work out " some day." Here, 

 from careful consideration of ]ocal distribution, we have now at all 

 events a satisfactory arrangement, which makes short work of such 

 supposed distinct species as /. attica and /. benacensis. The lists of 

 nurserymen are in this matter very confusing, e.g. they call almost 

 any dwarf bearded iris /. pumila, and they have introduced the 

 baffling term " Crimean irises," which is founded apparently on a 

 confusion between Olbia in the Crimea and the ancient town of Olbia 

 in Provence (whence /. olbiensis) ! The name aphylla now denotes 

 all dwarf Irises with a low-branching stem, and swallows up furcata, 

 Fieberi, hungarica, bi flora. This delightful plant, by the way, in its 

 various forms can be easily grown in soils in which such dwarf species 

 as pumila and chamaeiris — to say nothing of pseudo pumila and 

 mellita — are not satisfactory. The list of tall European Pogoniris 

 species is considerably reduced, and it is noticeable that Mr. Dykes 

 thinks it likely that all the countless forms of so-called ' German 

 inses ' are ultimately derived from /. pallida and I. variegata ! Foster 

 had abbreviated the list of original parents of these to four or five. 

 /. Junonia and its allies Cypriana, Trojana, &c, now make a distinct 



