The Apogon Section 
39 
Anthers , long and narrow. 
Pollen , cream. 
Capsule, almost circular in section, oblong, narrowing abruptly at either end. 
Seeds, thick wedge-shaped, almost cubical. 
Observations. 
The growth of this curious Iris is perhaps more scanty than that of any other known species. 
Its slender rhizome creeps widely but has few branches, so that the 
growths appear at some distance from each other. Moreover, only 
about two of the long dark green leaves grow from each point. 
These and the flower stems appear together in spring some inch or 
more in front of the previous year's growth, which then withers away. 
The points of resemblance and difference between this Iris and 
I. Purdyi will be found described in the Observations on the latter. 
Some very beautiful hybrids or colour varieties of this Iris have 
appeared in my garden. I am unfortunately unable to give full 
details as to their parentage but can say definitely that they arose 
from seed of I. bracteata that was not the result of artificial 
pollination. Both /. Douglasiana and I. tenax were growing near 
the seed-parent and it is possible and indeed likely that the latter 
was fertilised by the agency of some bee with the pollen of one 
or the other of these two. 
The plants are vigorous and very floriferous and the chief 
characters that point to their being of hybrid origin are to be found 
in the much closer growth and in the red, almost crimson colour 
of the flowers. One plant produced no less than eleven flower 
stems, at its first flowering in two years from seed, and though the 
shade of colour has varied in the individual plants, the characteristic 
veins of I. bracteata are visible in all cases on the blade of the 
falls. The perianth tube and ovary resemble those of /. bracteata. 
Cultivation is, in general, the same as that of the other members of the group (see p. 35), but 
I. bracteata seems to be even more impatient of removal than any of the other species. Plants should 
always be raised from seeds and planted out permanently where it is intended that they should remain. 
ft /, tenax » 
(Plate IX) 
•Douglas in Bot. Reg. t. 1218 (1829). 
•Bot. Mag. t. 3343 (1834). 
Baker in J. L. S. XVI. 138 (1877). 
Hdk. Irid. p. 7 (1892). 
Hooker, FI. Bor. Amer. II. p. 206. 
Purdy in The Garden, Jan. 1st, 1898. 
•Carrington Ley in The Garden, 1898, p. 518, t. 1175. 
Synonym. Ioniris tenax, Klatt BZ. XXX. (1872), p. 502. 
Distribution. Washington, Oregon. 
Baker’s statement (Hdk. Irid. p. 7) that this Iris is found in British Columbia is probably based on a 
misconception of the situation of Fort Vancouver and the Columbia River. 
The supposed Newfoundland specimen, Douglas (K), is presumably wrongly labelled, for besides the word 
Newfoundland it also bears the indication “ from Cape Mendocino to Puget Sound," which is in 
Washington. 
Further confusion has been caused by the fact that a label bearing the words "New Brunswick, Mt Kendel" 
has been stuck on a sheet of specimens of I. tenax (K), which on the sheet itself are rightly named 
and which were collected by Tolmie in “ N.W. America." 
Washington. Montesano, Chehalis Co. Wash. 1898 (B) (E). 
Mt Tacoma, Wash. 1904, Elwes (K). 
Fort Vancouver, 1825, Douglas (BM). 
Columbia River, 1841, Hinds (K). 
Cape Mendocino to Puget Sound, 1825, Douglas (K). 
Oregon. Oregon City, 1865, Brown (E). 
Umpqua Valley, 1853, Jeffrey (E). 
Oregon, 1871, Hall (BM). 
Coast Range and Wilamet Valley, 1877, Moseley (K). 
Portland, 1905, Palmer, no. 1427 (W). 
See also I. Hartwegii (p. 40). 
1 The name was probably given with reference to the strength of the leaves, from the fibres of which the Indians weave 
twine or cord. 
