The Apogon Section 
47 
[•N.B. 
/. Grijsi > 
Maximowicz in Bull. Acad. P^ter. XXVI. (1880), p. 515. 
Melanges Biol. x. p. 702 (1880). 
Hance in Joum. Bot. xx. (1882), p. 295. 
Baker, Hdk. Irid. p. 6 (1892). 
this ,ris by , a chinese artist fr ° m sir w H °° k er ' s it « 
irom tnis tnat the colour of the segments is described.] 
Synonym. 
/. Cavalerici, Ldveilte in Mem. Pontif. Accad. Rom. Nuov. Line. XXIV. 1905 p 18 
/. oxypctala, Bge., Hance in Journ. Bot. 1870, p. 314, ex parte, see Observations. 
Distribution. Central China in the provinces of Fukien, Anhwei, Hupeh, Shensi and Kweichow 
F ukie„. De Grijs (no. 8583) (K) (BM) (V). [This is Maximowicz's type.] 
Anhwei. Wuhu, 1881, Bullock (BM) (E). 
Hupeh. Wushan, 1900, Wilson (no. 661) (K) (E). 
Shensi. Fuchow, 1897, Hb. Carles (no. 598) (E). 
Kweichow. Kweiyang, 1900 (L). (N.B. This is L^veill^’s type of /. Cavalerici.) 
1898, Chaffanjou et Bodinier (L). 
Diagnosis. 
I Grijsi Apogon ; rkizoma ut in /. ensata sed tenuior; caules plerumque bini ex eodem foliornm 
fascicule product., 4—6 poll, long., monocephali ; pedicellus longus ; tubus brevis, ovario aequilongus. 
Description. 
Rootstock, a slender wide-creeping rhizome, clothed in the wiry remains of old leaves and resemblincr 
that of /. ensata. 0 
Leaves , 6— 14 in. by | in., linear-ensiform, stiff, finely but distinctly ribbed. 
Stems, 4—6 in., bearing 1—3 reduced leaves, and usually produced in pairs from the same point 
1 -headed. v 
Spathes, narrow, acuminate, 2 — 3 in. long, slightly scarious at the edge, 2 — 3-flowered. 
Pedicel, i£ — 2^ in. 
Ovary, cylindrical at first, but swelling rapidly to an oval, with a distinct beak at either end. 
Tube short, about \ in. ; in the dried state it is often difficult to see the division between the 
base of the tube and the beak of the ovary. 
Falls. The lanceolate blade is faintly veined with pale red purple except round the end of the 
yellow central line where the veins spread out and the purple colour becomes more pronounced. The 
ground is white. 
Standards, nearly white, faintly veined with pale reddish purple. 
Styles, narrow, triangular. 
Crests, 
Stigma, 
Filaments , 
A nthers, 
Pollen, 
Capsule, 
Seeds, 
Observations. 
This Iris in some ways resembles I. ensata, especially in the character of the rhizome. It is 
very variable in size, but is easily recognised by its curious habit of throwing up two stems side 
by side, clothed with much reduced leaves. The smallest specimen known is that described by 
Ldveilte (l.c.) as /. Cavalerici. Here only one stem had had time to develop, but the second can 
be distinguished in its immature state alongside it and the leaves that clothe these stems are those 
described by Ldveill6 as “interiora (folia) angustissima et brevissima.” Bullock’s specimens from 
Wuhu have both the stems fully developed side by side. 
The ovary also is characteristic. It appears to swell very rapidly as the flower withers, and 
has a distinct beak. The base is not truncate, but narrows gradually to a distinct stump above the 
articulation at its junction with the pedicel, which is nearly as long as the spathe valves or even 
actually longer. Hance’s description of the supposed capsule of this Iris in Journ. Bot. 1870, p. 314, 
is a mistake, for the description is certainly that of the capsule of /. ensata. Moreover, in the Kew 
Herbarium there is preserved a sheet from Dr Hance bearing plants of I. Grijsi and the capsules 
of I. ensata. 
Nothing is known as to the cultivation of this species. 
1 Named after C. F. M. de Grijs, a Dutch military surgeon, who collected plants for Dr Hance near Amoy and in Fukien. 
