Distribution. North Africa. 
The Apogon Section 
61 
Algiers, 1837, Bovd (K) (C) [Klatt’s description 
1873, Joad (K). 
Constantine, 1873, Joad (K). 
Blidah, 1862, Lefebvre (K) (V). 
Mitidja, 1844, Munby (K). 
1856, Durando (C). 
was based on Bov£'s specimens]. 
I 7. I. spuria var. danica. 
On the Danish island of Saltholmen there occurs a variety of /. spuria which seems very nearly allied to, if not 
actually identical with, the Algerian form. 
Saltholmen, i860, Lange (C). 
1874, Benzon (E). 
1893, Roth (E). 
1893, Simmons (V) (E). 
II. I. spuria var. subbarbata. 
Synonym. 
/. subbarbata, Joo in Verh. Siebenb. Ver. Naturw. 11. p. 98 (1851). 
This is a stronger and more vigorous plant than any of the preceding. It is distinguished by the short stem- 
leaves which are not nearly as long as the internodes, which therefore remain largely exposed. The pubescence on 
the falls, in reference to which the name was given, consists of unicellular processes and is a feature by no means 
uncommon among members of the spuria group. It is found also on many other Apogon Irises. 
Distribution. Southern Germany, Austria, Hungary, Servia. 
Germany. Mainz, 1816, Ziz (K). 
1884, Sennholz (V). 
Austria. Vienna (Miinchendorf), 1878, Braun (V). 
1893, Krebs (E). 
In marshes by the Danube, 1838, Lang (K). 
Hungary. Tokay, 1858, Krzisch (V). 
Gran, 1861, Pittoni (V). 
Hermannstadt, 18 — , Schur (V). 
Kbros Laddny, 1858, Borbas (B) (O). 
1886, Borbas (V). 
1892, Borbas (K) (BM). 
Buda, 18 — , Lang (C). 
Servia. Nis, 1896, Adamovic (V). 
III. Plants from the Caucasus and Persia. 
In spite of many attempts it seems impossible in the present state of our knowledge to classify the various 
forms of I. spuria that are found in the Caucasus and in Persia. The European forms seem to fall naturally 
into certain geographical classes and at the extreme eastern end of the habitat, the Altai and Turkestan plants can 
be grouped together under the name of I. halophila Pallas, but in the centre confusion reigns supreme. There 
seems no hope of clearing up the difficulties here involved until we can obtain in cultivation a series of plants 
from known localities in the Caucasus region and in Persia. To this end seeds would be most welcome and it 
might eventually be possible to arrive at some satisfactory arrangement of this very difficult group of Irises 1 . 
Bieberstein’s name I. notha was given to a Caucasus plant but it is impossible to discover what the author 
really took for his type. For, in the first place, the original description was apparently drawn up for a book 
that was never published (Bieb. Cent. Plant. Rar. Ross. II. t. 77). Of this work only the first part containing 
50 plates is known and yet Bieberstein himself quotes the second part in his account of I. notha in FI. Taur. 
Cauc. III. p. 45 (1819). If we had Bieberstein’s plate before us, we could probably identify it with collected 
specimens from some region in the Caucasus, but without it we do not derive much assistance from his statement 
that I. notha differs from 1 . spuria, ochroleuca and Guldcnstadtiana by its larger spathes and by the fact that the 
blade of the fall extends horizontally. 
A few instances will suffice to show the difficulties of the questions here involved. A specimen (V) gathered 
by Parreyss near the river Alma in the Crimea has very long (6 in.) acuminate spathes and long stem-leaves, while 
another specimen found by the same collector (Tauria, 499 (V)) at no great distance away has much shorter and 
broader spathes. 
Kotschy’s no. 220 (Everek near Mt Argaeus (Cappadocia), 1859 (V)) is interesting because, as far as can be 
seen from an herbarium specimen, it is identical with a fine form of I. spuria, which I received from Srinagar in 
Kashmir. In cultivation this latter plant grows to a height of from 3—4 feet and is that illustrated bn Plate XV. 
The exact shade of colour in the flowers is apt to vary, for some specimens are of a lighter blue than that from 
which the illustration was taken. 
1 Even if a large series of plants from definite localities could be obtained, any attempt to work out the distribution of the 
various forms would have to take into consideration the possibility, already suggested at p. 59, that in the course of ages these 
Irises have been carried hither and thither by human agency and become practically cultivated plants. 
