THE IRIS. 
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foot high. It produces blue flowers in May 
and June. Native of Russia. 
Iris sibirica. (The Siberian Iris.) — A 
hardy herbaceous perennial, growing three 
feet high, with narrow sword-shaped leaves and 
light blue flowers. There is a variety with white 
flowers, called sibirica alba, which is known 
also as I. flexuosa. The former is a native of 
Siberia ; the latter, also of Germany and 
Switzerland. It flowers in June and July. 
There is another variety, called sanguincea, 
(also known as or -ientalis and iuematophylla ;) 
the young leaves of which are blood red, and 
the flowers deep blue ; it is supposed to come 
from Siberia, and also China and Japan. A 
third variety, called flare pleno, has double 
flowers of a purple colour. 
Iris sordida. (The sordid Iris.) — A hardy 
herbaceous perennial, growing a foot and a 
half high, and flowering in May and June. 
The colour of the flowers is white. 
Iris spathulata. (The spathulate-flowered 
Iris.) — A hardy herbaceous perennial, growing 
about a foot high, and producing pale blue 
flowers in July and August. Native of Ger- 
many. 
Iris spuria. (The spurious Iris.) — A hardy, 
herbaceous perennial, growing three feet high. 
It has long, narrow leaves, and small, light 
blue and purple flowers, which it produces in 
June and July. Native of Germany. The 
leaves emit a disagreeable smell when bruised. 
The following plants, which have been con- 
sidered distinct species, rank as varieties of 
I. spuria: — major; this grows four feet high, 
and lias large, dark blue flowers ; native of 
Siberia : ockroleuca ; also grows four feet 
high, and has very full, straw-coloured flowers: 
halopkila. ; also grows four feet high ; the 
flowers are smaller than the last, and rather 
deeper coloured ; native of the south of Eu- 
rope : desertorum ; this grows two feet high, 
and has sulphur-coloured flowers, suffused with 
very light blue ; they are exceedingly fragrant ; 
native of Russia : stenogyna ; also two feet 
high, with small, cream-coloured flowers ; pro- 
bably a native of Germany. They all agree 
in having leaves which emit a disagreeable 
smell when bruised. 
Iris squalen*. (The daubed Iris.) — A hardy, 
herbaceous perennial, growing three feet high. 
It has broad leaves and large flowers, the 
outer segments of which are streaked with 
brownish blue on light ground, the inner ones 
a full, dull-blueish brown. It flowers in May 
or June. Native of the south of Europe. 
This is very near I. sanibucina, and is indeed 
by some regarded merely as a variety of that 
species. 
Iris sti/losa. (The long-styled Iris.) — This 
small and beautiful species has been lately in- 
troduced by the Dean of Manchester, who 
brought a seed and some roots of it from 
Mount Rondi, in Cephalonia. The leaves are 
about a quarter of an inch wide, and grow in 
a spreading, flat tuft. The large, gaudy blue 
flowers are supported, like those of a crocus, 
by a tube, five or six inches long, from the 
underground root. It is said that some of the 
steeps of Corfu are in a blaze of blue, from its 
flowers, in January and February. It remains 
to be seen whether it will endure the climate 
of England. 
Irissubbiflora. (The purple-flowered Iris.) — 
A hardy, herbaceous perennial, growing about 
a foot high, with broad leaves, and large and 
exceedingly fragrant dark purple flowers. It 
Iris subbijloTa. 
flowers in April and May. Native of Portugal ; 
and a good deal resembling I. germanica, but 
of smaller growth. The name is intended to 
express a property of throwing up flower- 
stems at different seasons, spring and autumn. 
Iris susiana. (The Chalcedbnian Iris.) 
A hardy herbaceous perennial, growing two 
feet high, and one of the most singular and 
magnificent of the whole tribe. The leaves 
are moderately broad ; the flowers are very 
large, of a greyish-ground colour, streaked 
and spotted, and veined all over with dark 
chocolate colour. It flowers in May and June. 
Native of Persia. Though an inhabitant of 
a warm climate, it thrives in favourable 
situations out-doors, succeeding best in a 
loamy soil, and sunny exposure. It bears 
forcing well. A few roots should be protected 
in a frame during winter, in case the weather 
should be very severe. 
Iris tangcrica. (The Tangier Iris.) — A 
hardy herbaceous perennial, growing a foot 
