BOTANICAIi IIVDEX. 
75 
ted oi- bearded divisions of tlie flower, (Fig. 147 /,) down the base of which is the 
only access to the nectar, contained in the bottom of the tube or narrow cup of the 
flower. The only access to this nectar (honey) is a narrow channel leading clown 
the united bases of the six divisions or leaves of the flower. Now the three inner 
of these are upright, witli their tips curved inwards, shutting off all access from 
that quarter ; hut the three outer and larger divisions recurve, and afford a conve- 
nient landing-place directly before the stamen and the over-arching stigma. When 
sucking out the nectar with its proboscis, the bee’s head is brought clown beneath the 
anther; when raised, it will rub against it and brush out some of the pollen; this, 
loosely adhering to its hairy surface, is ready to be deposited upon the shelf of stig- 
ma above; not when the bee leaves the flower, for then it only hits the outer face of 
the stigma, which is smooth and does not take the pollen at all, liut when it repeats 
the action. Flying to the next blossom, the first thing which the pollen-powdered 
head of the bee strikes is the stigma, but this time on the upper face of the shelf or 
real surface of stigma, which takes some of the pollen brought into contract with it, 
and so is fertilized. Sinking lower, the head next brushes the anther downward, 
in entering for the nectar, then upwards in departing, and receives a fresh charge 
of pollen to be distributed upon the shelf of stigma of the next blossom visited, and 
so on.” 
The Iris, although not contributing directly to the support of the human family, 
except in a limited sense, has added its mite towards the comforts and luxuries, usu- 
ally of semi-civilized people, indifferent portions of the world. The tuberous or 
bulbous rhizomas contain, in addition to the saccharine matter, a small portion of a 
fatty and acrid matter, together with a peculiar volatile oil which gives them stimu- 
lating properties. Some species loose their acridity by drying or boiling, and are 
then used as food, especially by the Hottentots, of South Africa, where it is called 
oenkjes, and has nearly the same taste as our potato. In its growing state, no ani- 
mal will eat the leaves except goats, but when cut and dried like hay, cattle will 
quite readily eat it. The roots, however, are quite extensively utilized in different 
portions of the world. The old and well known violet perfume, “Orris Root,” is 
the product of the beautiful, white-flowered species, Iris florentinct, which was also 
at one time quite extensively used in flavoring or toning liquors. The blue perintli 
of Iris Gcrmanica, crushed and mixed with lime, yields the “Iris Green” of painters. 
Finally the seed of Iris pseud-acorus are a well known substitute for coffee. — ( Hook- 
er) i. The roots of some species, especially Iris pseud-acorus, are used very extens- 
ively in- preparing black dyes and ink. 
Like most of our native semi-aquatic plants, it thrives in any common garden or 
mucky soil, requiring no especial attention; but it should remain undisturbed for a 
number of years, and then will bloom quite freely. The two English varieties, Iris 
pseud-acorus and I. foetidissima, emit a disagreeable, fetid odor, not found in our 
American species, to any considerable extent. The dwarf Siberian Iris, I. Siberica, 
and the Austrian Iris, I. Pumila, with their many various colored flowers, form ex- 
cellent border plants ; and as they are so very hardy, in a few years they make a 
complete mat of green foliage, and carry out the object of a border line to perfection. 
Within the past few years, botanical travelers and collectors have secured an almost 
endless variety of these choice plants, from the far off and little known countries; 
and now our English cousins, especially, can boast of a collection that vie with 
any other class of hardy plants in the world, for beauty and well contrasted colors; 
while to say that some of the species are perfectly gorgeous, only indifferently de- 
scribes their beauty. Of course our American plant buyers will never think of util- 
izing any of our native species, but we hope the day is not far distant, when we shall 
see this beautiful family of plants more generally grown, especially when our nurs- 
erymen advertise more carefully and generally, the new foreign varieties. European 
landscape gardeners make great use of even the most common varieties of Iris in 
their lawn decorations, especially in their planting by lake and river margins where 
the effect in all that can be desired. But the old world landscape gardening is on 
more of an elaborate and gorgeous scale than anything in America, consequently we 
see very little of this perfected art or science to copy from except near a few of our 
large cities, where the art has been applied to the beautifying of cemeteries. 
r RESERVING THE NATURAL COLORS OF FLOWERS. 
According to the Breslauer Gewerbe Zeitung, the natural colors of flowers and 
plants intended for herbaria may be preserved by dipping them from time to time 
in a boiling solution of eight grains of salicylic acid, in three-quarters of a pint of 
water, afterwards carefully drying them between sheets of blotting-paper.— Garden- 
er's Monthly. 
