COLLECTIONS OF 1914. 
79 
Iris goniocarpa var. pratensis (F 90) occurs at lower elevations than 
the last on the same Thundercrown turf, filling the much coarser 
longer grass on the hot dry slopes at 7,000-8,000 feet, often, in 
opener places, developing quite a fan of grassy foliage, with dozens 
of fine 6-inch stems, each balancing a single lovely flower with 
lavender standard-blade and a fall of waxen pure white, heavily 
margined and mottled with richest violet velvet. Even worse 
luck have we so far had with this ; arduous and prolonged 
research yielded only three capsules, and in these only two seeds 
still preserved a promise of vitality (May- June). 
Iris sp. (F 177) is a cousin of /. prismatica from the highest grass- 
ridges of Tibet, with rather thin flowers of plum-colour and 
dark blue in August, from its fine, dark, grassy mats of foliage. 
Iris sp. (F 276) lives on the hottest bare banks of loess about Siku, 
and again crops out in the Nan Ho Valley. It is a strange 
Moraeoid species, with fans of broad tectorum-like leafage, and 
tall, very graceful branching stems of 12-24 inches, displaying 
erect flowers, rather small and fugacious, of velvety texture and 
greyish tone, the falls being mottled with hazel-brown on a 
pale background. It blooms in July-August and is soon ripe 
in seed. 
Iris sp. (F 413) is a small species from level loess pans on the 
Akropolis of Siku. It belongs to the type of F 29, but seems 
much littler and slighter in every part, with flowers (unknown) 
springing almost stemless from the crown, two or three often on 
one welded scape. 
Iris Farreri sp. nov. (F 414) is a relation of F 29, abounding on the 
bare loess in the open valley-bottoms of the Tibetan ranges 
opposite J6-ni, at some 9,500-10,000 feet. Its lingering flowers 
in August were blended of blue and white, and offer good hope that 
the plant may prove as valuable as it is certainly floriferous. 
Iris sp. (F 415) was collected by our Chinese headman as being 
the same as F 19, which is no more nor less than /. tectorum 
(abounding in huge masses all over the cool, grassy downs between 
Shi-ho and Foo-er-gai) ; but the fat and purpled pods he brought 
seem to me in many ways so distinct from those of /. tectorum 
that I can but send it out with this caution, though I am unable 
to suggest what else it might be, especially as it was not collected 
in the. tectorum district. [No ! it is quite distinct and shares with 
true tectorum the valleys of S. Kansu.] 
Iris sp. (F 416) is a quite uncertain species from the Tao-chow 
district, possibly in alliance with F 29 and F 414. 
Isopyrum sp. nov. (F 96) is so universally abundant in all 
the cool, high-alpine limestone cliffs as to have been, in the 
end, but too slackly collected this year — especially as its seeds 
are so minute and its capacious capsules so capricious. Such 
seed as is distributed will want most careful raising. The species 
is very beautiful, with cushions of tiny Columbine foliage, and 
