The Apogon Section 
87 
Description. 
Rootstock , a compact, close-tufted rhizome, covered with coarse remnants of old leaves, resembling 
those of I. spuria and I. longipetala. 
Leaves , linear, £ — £ in. broad, length varying from a few inches at flowering 
time to 1 8 — 24 in. eventually, finely ribbed, of a glaucous grey. 
Stem, 2 — 12 in. long, flattened so as to be lozenge shape in section, bearing a 
single terminal head. 
Spathes, narrow, acuminate, green, usually 2 — 3 in. long, but sometimes much 
longer. 
Pedicels, of varying length even in the same spathe, £ — 4 in. 
Ovary, 1 — 2 in. long, narrow, more or less trigonal, with two furrows on each 
face, usually twisted and passing gradually into the pedicel. 
Tube, very short and easily detached from the top of the ovary when the flower 
withers. 
Falls. The oblanceolate blade is separated by a slight and gradual constriction 
from the slightly panduriform haft. The colour varies considerably, from pure white 
with a few slight greenish veins to dark blue- or red-purple. In some cases the 
veining is very delicate and beautiful. On the haft the low central greenish-yellow 
ridge is often dotted with small purplish dots. 
Standards, oblanceolate unguiculate with a canaliculate haft ; the colour is usually 
darker than that of the falls and the back of the haft is greenish. 
Styles, narrow, rounded, not sharply keeled. 
Crests, triangular, overlapping. 
Stigma, a small, pendant triangular tongue. 
Filaments, white, short. 
Anthers, cream, longer than the filaments. 
Pollen, cream. 
Capsule, 2 — 3 in. long, narrowly oblong, with six ribs at equal intervals and a 
short sharp beak (see Fig. 11). 
• Seeds, globose, bark brown, smooth-skinned, somewhat resembling those of the 
longipetala group. 
Observations. 
This Iris extends from the Altai region to Shantung and Corea, and appears to have several local 
forms. Any attempt to arrive at a clear and complete classification of these forms is made the more 
difficult by several facts. In the first place, the slender rhizomes will not survive complete desiccation, 
and almost invariably succumb during the long journey to England from Central Asia. The surest 
method of introducing the various forms is therefore by means of seeds, which are freely produced and 
germinate readily. Unfortunately the plants do not begin to flower until, after three or four years, 
they have grown into clumps of some size. 
Another difficulty lies in the fact that the specimens found in herbarium collections have usually 
been gathered either at the flowering time or when the capsules of seed had developed. Between 
these two periods the foliage grows considerably, with the result that the plants appear quite different. 
The task of endeavouring to assign definite localities to the different forms of this Iris is probably 
further complicated by the fact that it has in Central Asia some importance as an economic plant. 
In Kashmir, for instance, the foliage is used as fodder (cf. Gartenflora, 1898, p. 370), while in the 
neighbourhood of Kashgar it is woven into cord, and bunches of vegetables and of grapes are mostly 
tied with it. We are bound to admit therefore that the Iris may now have become naturalised in many 
places where it was not originally indigenous. In this connection it may be noted that Maximowicz, 
who endeavoured (vide l.c.) to distinguish three varieties, was obliged to state that all three were 
collected by Regel at Kuldscha. 
The economic value of I. ensata is doubtless increased by the fact that, owing to its deep rooting 
character, it is less affected by long periods of drought than any other Iris. This was very noticeable 
in September 1911, when the foliage of nearly all other Irises had withered away. The clumps of 
I. ensata remained quite green until they were cut down by frost. This peculiarity allows the plant 
to flourish where other vegetation fails, and I have seen photographs taken near Kashgar of a district 
where the ground is covered with great clumps of /. ensata many feet in circumference, and where 
the bare, deeply fissured hills afford abundant testimony to the aridity of the climate. 
Although it is impossible to come to any definite conclusion as to the number of really distinct 
forms of this species that may exist, there are at least three which should not be confused with one 
another, but which, at the same time, cannot be separated into distinct species. 
Of these three forms, by far the commonest is that which has flowers with narrow oblanceolate 
falls and foliage which at length attains nearly, if not quite, to two feet in length. The flower stems 
are of variable length even on the same plant, and the relative proportions of the stem and of the 
Fig. ii. Capsule of 
