IRIS PERSICA. 
(Persian Iris.) 
Class. Order. 
TRIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
IRlDACEiE. 
Generic Character. — Corolla six-parted ; petals al- 
ternate, reflexed, Stigmas petal-shaped. 
Specific Character.— P^ani a bulbous perennial. 
Leaves sheathing at the base, somewhat lanceolate, 
acuminate, lined, pale green. Corolla without a beard, 
interior petals shortest and most spreading. 
Among the many old plants that have most injudiciously been disregarded by 
modern cultivators, the Persian Iris occupies a conspicuous place. Its merits, 
indeed, are of so rare an order, that it is really wonderful that so fev\r gardens 
contain it, and that few^er still grow it to the extent to which its good qualities 
commend it to regard. 
Considering that much of this indifference, like that which is often manifested 
towards individu^Cls of our own race, may be owing to an undue acquaintance with 
the nature of this singularly interesting plant, we have passed over its extreme 
oldness as a matter which ought not to influence us to its prejudice, and have thus 
had a figure prepared, to illustrate and enforce our statement of its recommendatory 
traits. 
In the first place, those who have been accustomed to cultivate it solely as a 
forced plant for the greenhouse, or to let it flower naturally in pots, under 
protection, for the same purpose, seem to be little conscious that it is altogether 
hardy, and needs no sort of shelter whatever. It blooms every year, at Messrs. 
Young's, Epsom, whence we obtained our figure, in an exposed plot, which has no 
sort of shelter ; and we have never seen it injured. 
It comes into flower, moreover, early in the month of March, when every 
blossom that will give variety to the appearance of the flower-beds or borders is 
specially valuable ; and it remains in blossom for several weeks, each plant 
throwing up two, three, or more flowers, in succession, and these individually 
lasting about a week or ten days. 
