100 
The Evansia Section 
Japan. Central Mountains, 1879, Maries (BM). 
Nagasaki, 1861, SchattmUller (B), Maingay (K). 
1862, Oldham (K). 
1863, Maximowicz (K) (BM). 
1879, Bissett (BM). 
Daisen, 1899, Faurie (B). 
Hakone, 1875, Challenger Exped. (K). 
Diagnosis. 
I. japonica Evansia ; rhizoma stoloniferum ; caulis ramosus folia superat ; folia laevigata, saturate 
viridia ; segmenta exteriora cristata. 
Description. 
Rootstock , a somewhat slender greenish-coated rhizome, widely creeping by means of stolons or 
underground shoots, often 6 in. or more in length. 
Leaves , ensiform, dark green with a polished upper- and glaucous under-surface, three or four to 
each fanlike tuft, narrowing gradually to a point 18 — 24 in. long by 1 — 2 in. broad. 
Stem , about 18 in. long, bearing many heads of flowers in a regular raceme. 
Spat lies, 3 — 5 flowered, valves pale green, | — £ in. long. 
Pedicel , about 1 in. long, triangular in section. 
Ovary , £ in., rounded trigonal, with a shallow groove on each surface, bright green. 
Tube, £ — | in. long, slightly funnel-shaped, white. 
Falls. Obovate cuneate with a serrated wavy edge. The groundwork of the centre of the haft 
and of the blade is white, bordered with deep mauve blotches, which fade into the pale lilac mauve 
colour of the circumference. From the base of the haft there start three parallel ridges. The centre 
ridge is at first white with an orange tip becoming entirely orange on the blade, where it is covered 
with fine silky white hairs. The two flanking ridges are white blotched with yellow brown and fade 
away on the blade, where the central crest becomes conspicuous. in. long by £ in. broad. 
Standards, nearly horizontal, oblong unguiculate, with a serrated, and widely emarginate, upper edge, 
i£ in. long by £ in. wide, pale lilac mauve. 
Styles, £ in. long by £ in. broad, of a slightly deeper shade of mauve than the rest of the flower. 
Crests, large, very deeply fimbriated. 
Stigma, with slightly crenate edge, entire. 
Filaments, white, longer than the anthers. 
Anthers, white, not much more than £ in. long. 
Pollen, white, and always so imperfect that I have not been able to determine its shape. 
Capsule, small, elliptical, | — | in. long. 
Seeds, pyriform, with slight arillus as in /. tectorum. 
Observations. 
When well grown, /. japonica is a very decorative plant. The broad dark-green foliage is ever- 
green with a little protection from severe frost. Unfortunately, owing to its early flowering habit 1 , it is 
rarely able to produce its blooms out of doors in England. The rhizomes themselves are quite hardy and 
have even been naturalised in Chitral, where very low temperatures are recorded in winter. I am 
indebted for plants from this source to the kindness of Major-General Lome Campbell of Abbottabad, 
and I had hoped that this undoubtedly hardy strain would perhaps consent to flower in England but 
unfortunately this has not proved to be the case. Indeed, the plants are at their worst in spring and 
early summer, when our sun is not hot enough to cause vigorous new growths and flowers to develop. 
It is true that the hot summer of 19 11 ripened the growths so well that the plants were prepared 
to flower early in 1912, but the hard frost at the end of January destroyed all the flower shoots while 
they were quite immature. 
In spite of the fact that the individual flowers are very shortlived, the number that are produced 
on each flowering stem make this Iris a valuable cool greenhouse plant, where it does well, either planted 
out in a border or in pots. Plants cultivated under glass can be given that rest and ripening which is 
necessary if the plant is to flower. 
Forms with variegated leaves are known but it is a question of taste whether such monstrosities 
are really desirable. It is also possible that a pink-flowered form exists in China, if we may trust the 
colour of a drawing made in that country before 1844 by a Mrs Julia Allport (K). 
For some reason, this Iris seems very reluctant to set seed. Maximowicz ( 1 . c.) states that he 
nowhere found capsules or seeds in Japan, and artificial pollination seems useless in England. Sir Michael 
Foster tried in vain to obtain seeds and my own efforts to fertilise flowers have met with no better 
success. Dr D. D. Cunningham of Torquay, and his neighbour, Mr Eden Phillpotts, very kindly under- 
took experiments in their milder climate, but their combined efforts only produced one puny capsule 
1 It is possible that this Iris can be made to flower under glass at nearly any period of the year by withholding moisture 
and resting the rhizomes for some weeks or months, when the foliage has developed fully. When moisture is once more given, 
growth soon becomes active and flower-stems should rapidly appear. 
