The Evansia Section 
105 
I. SPECULATRIX 
Hance in Journ. Bot XIII. p. 196 (1875). 
Xiv. p. 75 (1876). 
•Bot. Mag. t. 6306 (1877). 
[The dimensions given are fallacious, since they were taken from a plant that flowered immediately 
after its arrival in England ; the tube and pedicel are stunted.] 
Baker in Gard. Chron. 1876, II. p. 36. 
in J. L. S. XVI. p. 143 (18 77). 
Hdk. Irid. p. 69 (1892). 
Maxim, in Bull. Acad. Pit. XXVI. p. 538 (1880). 
Mil. Biol. X. 735 (1880). 
Distribution. China, in the provinces of Kwangtung and Fokien. 
Kwangtung ; Hongkong, 1861, Martens (B). 
Victoria Peak (Hongkong), 1874, Ford (K) (BM). 
Canton; Lienchau, 1874, Lamont (BM). 
Lantao Island, 1 888, Native collector (K). 
Hills above Repulse Bay, Hongkong, 1900, Tutcher, no. 669 (K). 
Fokien; Foochow, 2000ft. above the plain, 1897, Carles (K). 
No locality, 1905, Dunn (K). 
Diagnosis. 
I. speculatrix Evansia ; rhizoma squamosum, tortuosum, annulatum ; folia ngida, lineana, nervis 
validis prominulis percursa, caulem bis superantia ; caulis monocephalus ; spathae bi florae ; pedicellus 
longus ; tubus brevis ; segmenta exteriora cristata. 
Description. ... 
Rootstock , $ in. in diameter, the crowded relics of former leaves splitting up into fibres. The 
growth is very similar to that of /. bracteata and other Californian species. 
Leaves, distinctly ribbed, 12—18 in. by \ in., linear ensiform. 
Stem , 5 — 12 in., bearing 2 or 3 reduced leaves. 
Spatkcs, 2-flowered, 1^ — « n - lon g- g reen - acuminate. 
Pedicel, 1 in. at flowering time, afterwards 1^ — 2 in. long. 
Ovary , £ in., with a tapering neck. 
Tube, rather less than \ in. long. , . , . f 
Falls The almost orbicular blade is much shorter than the pale red-purple haft and is of a 
bright red-purple colour with a patch of white at the end of the shallow bright-yellow crest. 
Standards, pale lilac, oblanceolate, unguiculate, shorter than falls, erect. 
Styles, of the same length and colour as the standards. 
Crests, large, triangular. 
Stigma, 
Filaments, 
Anthers , 
Pollen, 
Capsule , \ — | in. long, tapering at either end, trigonal with 
beaked. 
Seeds, globular with white attachment as long as the diameter 
a raised line on each 
of the seed. 
face, shortly 
Observations. 
Little is known of this Iris in cultivation although a plant once flowered at Kew. By the kindness 
of Mr S. T. Dunn and Capt. Basil Taylor, 1 was able to obtam a few seeds from Hongkong. 
For some reason, however, 1 failed to keep alive the few seedlings that germmated Better success 
attended the one plan, that germinated from a few seeds that I sent to the south of France. Thts 
plant is growing well in rather heavy limestone soil, although it has not yet flowered. 
/. speculate would probably prove not to be hardy in England and could only be grown under 
glass, at any rate during the winter months. 
Its relationship to the other members of the Evansia section is uncertain Its seeds are certainly 
distinct and so is the whole appearance of the plant. I. ts posstble that further knowledge of ,t 
would lead to a different classification. 
D. 
14 
