ON IRISES. 



135 



I. sibirica, which, from its most favourite habitats, might fitly be 

 called the " Meadow Iris." Indeed, I. pratensis is one of the 

 names which has been given to it. 



Here, again, is a third Iris belonging to still another group 

 [specimen shown]. The abundant rootlets show that it too loves 

 water ; but the plant has a rhizome which, though not so fleshy 

 as that of I. germanica, is still thick and considerable, and the 

 leaves, though longer and narrower than those of I. germanica, 

 are still stout and swordlike. May we not infer from these facts 

 that this Iris, though it loves water, cannot secure a constant 

 supply, that it lives on the banks of some stream or pool whence 

 it can generally satisfy its thirst, but in seasons of drought, 

 when the water sinks or even fails, when the river runs low or 

 the swamp dries up, is helped by its stout leaves and bulky 

 rhizome to hold on until water comes again. In doing so Ave 

 shall not be far wrong, for this is our wild I. pscudacorus, which 

 might fitly be called the swamp or river Iris. 



These three Irises whose characters thus tell us, to a certain 

 extent at all events, how to try and grow them, may be taken as 

 representatives of three large and distinct groups of Irises. For 

 the whole genus may be divided into several distinct groups, the 

 members of which are more closely allied to each other than to 

 members of the other groups. It will be impossible for me to- 

 day to treat of all these groups, I must confine myself to a few 

 only. 



Let me take first of all the group to which the I. germanica 

 which I have already shown, the well-known blue flag, belongs, 

 and begin with a few words about I. germanica itself. 



The distribution of I. germanica is exceedingly wide. We 

 find it reaching from the west of Spain and Portugal right 

 through southern and middle Europe to Asia Minor, and thence 

 through Persia right away to Nepaul. I have not us yec obtained 

 any evidence of its occurring wild any further east. Along all 

 this wide range it varies very little. The form which grows in 

 Nepaul bears a very large and handsome flower, and has been 

 called I. nepalensis, but in all essential respects is identical 

 with the European form. A similar large form is abundant, 

 and appears to grow wild in Persia. Another large form of 

 somewhat different colour is found in Asia Minor, and has 

 recently been distributed for cultivation as I. asiatica, or more 



