120 
The Oncocyclus Section 
Anthers, much longer, cream. 
Pollen , cream. 
Capsule, a long ellipse, trigonal, dehiscing below the apex. 
Seeds, globose or pyriform, dark reddish brown with a conspicuous white aril. 
Obsenations. 
This fine Iris comes nearest perhaps to /. Lortetii and only differs from it in being less delicately 
coloured. The veining is coarser and more pronounced and the groundwork is not so clear. It is one 
of the sturdiest members of the section and, if only the difficulties of cultivation could be overcome it 
would be a valuable addition to any garden. 
+ /. SUS1ANA 
Linn. Spec. Plant Ed. I. p. 38 (1753) (non Zeller = /. ibcrica). 
•Bot. Mag. t. 91 (1790). 
•Savi, FI. Ital. II. t 74 (1822). 
•G^el, Sert. Bot. Vol. I. (1830). 
•Flore des Serres, t. 1087-88 (1856). 
•Revue Hort 1859, P- 322. 
•Eeden Album, t. 52 (1872-81). 
Boiss. FI. Or. v. p. 130 (1884). 
Baker in J. L. S. XVI. p. 142 (1877). 
Hdk. I rid. p. 17 (1892). 
Journ. R. Hort. Soc. xxvm. fig. 133 (1903-4). 
Synonyms. 
/. punctata, Moench. Meth. p. 527 (1794). 
1 . grandiflora , Salisb. Prod. p. 43 (1796). 
Oncocyclus susianus, K. Koch in Linnaea XXI. p. 639 (1848). 
Var. livida, Baker in J. L. S. XVI. l.c. 
Synonyms. 
/. livida , Tratt. Archiv, t. 176 (1814). 
/. susiana, Red. Lil. t. 18 (1802). 
G£el, Sert. Bot. (1830). 
[This variety was described as being cultivated in France and is shown with flowers smaller, 
darker and less distinctly veined than those of the type.] 
Distribution. Unknown, it is impossible to say whether such specimens as Mosul 1841, Kotschy (K) are 
/. susiana or a closely allied species and, even if there were no uncertainty as to the identity of the specimens, 
it would be impossible to feel satisfied that the plants were not an importation in such a locality. Another 
such instance is 
Diarbekir (Karadschi Dagh), 1841, Kotschy (V). 
[N.B. These specimens are possibly those described by Boissier in FI. Or. V. 130 (1884) as 
/. Heylandiana .] 
Diagnosis. See the remarks on p. 107. 
Description. 
Rootstock, a stout compact rhizome, with a reddish skin. Cultivated plants do not produce stolons 
but these might arise in poor soil. 
Leaves, 12 in. or more in length by | — 1 in. broad, of a distinctly yellowish green. 
Stem, 12 — 15 in. long, sheathed in 2 — 3 reduced leaves. 
Spathes, 1 -flowered, valves 3 — 4^ in. long, green or slightly flushed with purple. 
Pedicel, very short. 
Ovary, much rounded trigonal, with a slight groove on each face, passing into the tube without any 
marked constriction, 1 in. long. 
Tube, 1 — in., green, striped and mottled with purple in the upper part. 
Falls. The broad wedge-shaped haft expands gradually into the ovate blade and bears a very broad 
diffuse beard of brown-black hairs. Beyond this on the blade is a deep purple black velvety signal 
patch. The rest of the surface is of a dark grey colour, produced by numerous veins and dots of a 
dark black purple on a grey-white ground. 
Standards. Orbicular with a short haft, which bears on its inner side a number of scattered black 
hairs. The colour resembles that of the falls but the lines and dots are not so thick and the whole 
effect is therefore lighter. 
Styles, horizontal, sharply keeled, of a deep red-black colour. 
Crests, broad and low, sharply reflexed. 
Stigma, entire. 
Filaments, creamy, about half as long as the anthers. 
Anthers, creamy, very large, 1 in. long. 
