35 
The Apogon Section 
Tube, i in. or a little more in length. 
Falls. The narrow obovate blade is only $ or £ as long as the slightly panduriform haft. 
Standards, lanceolate. 
Styles, narrow. 
Crests, long, narrow, oblong. 
Observations. 
This Iris is apparently as rare in herbarium collections as it seems to be in nature. It is at 
once recognisable by the curiously netted spathe valves (see Fig. 3, p. 34). 
It is unknown in cultivation. 
III. The Californian Group. 
In California itself and in the neighbouring States along the Pacific coast, there are to be found 
two sets of Irises, one with comparatively large rhizomes clothed in the broad tough remnants of the 
leaves of former seasons and the other with very slender wiry rhizomes and leaves that turn a warm 
red-brown as they die off, instead of the yellow-brown to which the leaves of other Irises fade. 
The former of these groups, of which I. longipetala is representative, is in many ways not unlike 
the Asiatic I. ensata. Its three members will be found described and separated at p. 89. 
The eight species that form the Californian group, as here defined, resemble each other in their 
general habit of growth and whole appearance, though they differ in their structural details. All have 
very slender rhizomes, not much thicker than a quill, and the root fibres are comparatively few in 
number. The leaves are tough and rather thick and are noticeable among a collection of Irises for 
the red-brown colour to which they fade as they die. Unless the winter is exceptionally severe, 
the leaves of most of the species persist until the young growths appear in spring, I. tenax and 
I. Hartwegii being perhaps the most conspicuous exceptions, though even in the case of these two 
species the leaves do not die away completely at any time. A peculiarity, in which all the species 
apparently agree, is to be found in the pink colouration at the base of the shoots. In no other 
group of Irises is this colour so vivid or so persistent. 
As garden plants, these Californian Irises are most valuable, owing to their almost evergreen 
foliage and to the delicacy and extraordinary range of colour to be found in the flowers. It may 
be said indeed that no two specimens of any of them are exactly alike in their colouring and they 
are also valuable in having a flowering period that continues over a longer period than that of most 
other species of Iris. 
In spite of this, they are still comparatively rare as garden plants, owing largely to two causes. 
In the first place, they will not grow in a soil that is strongly impregnated with lime, and in the 
second, the paucity of their root fibres makes transplantation somewhat uncertain (cf. Fig. 4, p. 39, 
showing a rhizome of I. bracteata). 
It should therefore only be attempted during the months from April till July, when growth is 
active and before the main root thongs have thrown out their lateral fibres. The nurseryman's habit 
of sending out all herbaceous plants in the autumn is fatal to these Californian Irises, and we can 
imagine that this is one reason why they are not more widely grown. 
Fortunately, when once these Irises are established, they readily set seeds, which germinate freely. 
It should be noted, however, that the seeds do not germinate until March or April, in accordance 
with the almost invariable rule among Irises that the majority of the seeds germinate when the 
active growth from the rootstock begins. It is therefore essential that the soil in which these 
seeds are sown should be kept fairly moist at a time when dry east winds and the growing strength 
of the sun combine to parch the surface soil in England. My experience has been that, when, owing 
apparently to drought, the seedlings do not appear in spring, they are apt to appear with the setting 
in of the autumn rains. In this latter case, they should remain in the pots throughout the winter 
and, if very small, will benefit by the protection of a cold frame, where frosts will be less likely 
to uproot them. 
It is unwise to plant out seedlings of any Californian Irises until they have made at least four 
leaves and are fairly sturdy. They must usually therefore remain in the seed pans until June or 
July. Between that time and the winter, however, they grow rapidly and there should be no danger 
of losing any from the effects of frost. If, for any reason, the seedlings cannot be planted out by 
August at the latest, they are probably better left in the pans, though I have succeeded with some 
that were planted nearly two months later and merely covered with a light during the winter. 
All the species seem to delight in a light warm soil, well enriched with humus in the form 
of thoroughly decayed leaf soil. The plants then grow rapidly into large clumps, which flower most 
profusely. /. tenax, especially, is capable of producing so many flower spikes that the foliage is 
entirely hidden beneath the mass of flowers. 
Moisture is needed when growth is rapid in March and April, but in the late summer a thorough 
roasting in the sun, far from being detrimental to the plants, seems to ensure a more abundant 
display of flowers in the following season. 
5—2 
