62 
The Apogon Section 
Foster raised similar plants from seed collected by Aitchison 1 in 1S91 between Murree and the Kashmir border, 
where it was growing with /. ensata. It might at first sight be taken as proved that this form is a native of 
Kashmir, but some doubt is suggested when we remember that the common Kashmir form of I. gertnanica i s 
identical with that obtained by Foster from Kharput in Asia Minor and that Kashmir contains other Western 
Asian plants, which seem to have been introduced into India by the natural and only gateway from the west. 
Further confusion as to this Iris is introduced by the description of a plant, which grows at Mzchet and in 
the Gori district near Tiflis in the Caucasus, under the name of I. Carthaliniae Fomin (Monit. Jard. Bot. Tiflis, 1909, 
no 14, p. 44), for I have been unable to separate it from the above-mentioned Kashmir plant. 
Kotschy’s /. dacnaensis (Kuh-Daena, S. Persia, 1842 (K) (BM) (C) (B) (V)) has short spathes and short broad 
leaves, and is apparently similar to plants from Askabad (1900. Sintenis (V) (E)). 
IV. f J /. spuria var. halophila. 
Synonyms. 
•/. Jtalophila , Pallas, Reise III. p. 713. B - fi g- 2 ( *773)- 
I. Giildenstadtiana, Lepechin in Act. Hort. Petr. v. i. p. 292 (1781). 
I. sogdiana, Bunge in M£m. Sav. Etr. P^tersb. VII. p. S°7 (1847). 
[This is said to differ in the shape of the pedicels but these are found both triangular and 
round in section on the same plant.] 
•/. stenogj'na, Delar. in Red. Lil. VI. t. 310 (1812). 
•/. desertorum, Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 1514 (1812). 
I. musulmanica, Fomin in Monit Jard. Bot. Tiflis, I9°9> no - *4> P- 4& 
[Dr Fomin tells me that this Iris is very common in salt marshes in South Eastern Transcaucasia. 
In his original description he admits that he had seen no specimens of halophila but separates the 
two plants by reason of the supposed difference of the length of the perianth tube. The truth 
seems to be that, in the original description of halophila , the long neck of the ovary was mistaken 
for the tube, which is really short and broad.] 
Distribution. Asia : from the Caucasus through Persia, the Altai and Tarbagatai districts to Afghanistan and 
the North West Frontier of India. 
Persia. Desgird, 1868, Haussknecht (BM). 
Shiraz to Ispahan, 18 — , Aucher-Eloy, no. 5346 (K). 
Altai and Turkestan. River Borochudsir, 1878, Fetissow (BM) (E) (V) (K). 
Altai, 18 — , Fischer (BM) (V). 
Karatau, 1876, Regel (BM) (V). 
L. Saisang-Nor, 17 — , Pallas (BM) (K). 
R. Lepsa, 1841, Karelin and Kiriloff (BM) (V). 
Tarbagati Mts, 1840, Karelin and Kiriloff (BM) (V) (K). 
R. Irtysch (Jamyschewsk), 177-, Pallas (BM). 
L. Issy-Kul, 18 — , Semenow (BM) (K). 
R. Ajagus, 18 — , Schrenk (K). 
Tschilik, 1886, Krassnow (K). 
Indian Frontier. Kurrum Valley; Shalizan, 1879, Aitchison (BM) (K). 
Afghanistan, 1883, Aitchison, no. 683 (K). 
Observations. 
Halophila is distinguished from the western forms of I. spuria by its relatively shorter stem, by the 
very narrow segments and by the small, horizontal blade of the fall. 
The colour of the flowers is variable and may be either white, veined with yellow, a dull yellow or 
some shade of grey-purple. Some of the white flowered specimens are desirable but the others are 
hardly worth growing as garden plants. 
There is no doubt that forms of this Iris are widely distributed in Central Asia between Persia, 
Turkestan and the North West Frontier of India. (Cf. Aitchison’s specimens (BM) from Shalizan in 
the Kurrum Valley, which had white flowers with “a slightly primrose yellow tinge.") 
Bunge’s name /. sogdiana is of little importance because he relies only on colour and on the shape 
of the pedicels to separate his plants from typical halophila. Mere colour, however, can scarcely form 
the basis of a species and pedicels both round and triangular in section are often found on the same 
plant. 
Ker's I. desert 'orum *Bot. Mag. t. 1514 is merely a lavender form of this Iris and the name is pre- 
sumably taken from the manuscript name on one of Pallas' specimens (BM). 
This Iris is one of the most vigorous of all the forms of /. spuria. The plants quickly grow into 
close masses of foliage from which emerge numerous stems. The individual flowers are small but they 
are produced so freely that the whole effect is ornamental. Cultivation is extremely easy, for the plants 
seem to succeed in any soil. Moreover, the flowers are self-fertilised and seed is produced in abundance. 
It germinates readily and halophila is one of the greatest offenders in Botanical Gardens, where its 
vigorous self-sown seedlings oust the original occupants of the beds and then in their turn provide seeds 
which are distributed under the names of the plants whose positions they have occupied. 
1 Cf- also the following Kashmir specimens: — Ramoo 6000 ft. 1876, Clarke, no. 28516 (K), Bijbahara, 1900, Duthie, 
no. 25825 (K), Gandarbal, 1901, Duthie, no. 25827 (K) (E) (B). 
