128 The Regelia Section 
I. longiscapa , Ledeb. FI. Ross. IV. p. 93 (1853). 
[N.B. Lcbebour’s original description makes no allusion to I. falcifolia. He mentions I. tenuifolia 
but this has obviously little in common with a plant characterised by a long slender stem 
Maximowicz in B. A. P. XXVI. p. 506 (1880) says that the seeds bear a white aril ("hilo 
perforato albido") — a characteristic of the Regelia and Oncocyclus groups.] 
Distribution. From the deserts East of the Caspian to Afghanistan and Beluchistan. 
Bokhara. Deserts between Bokhara and Kermine, 18 — , Lehmann (K) (B). 
Tschakir-ata, Nasarbai, Chudak, 18 — , Lehmann, no. 161 (B). 
Transcaspia. Kisil-Arwat, 1886, Kye (B). 
Gjaurs (near Askabad), 1900, Sintenis (K) 
(V) (E). 
Between Gjaurs and Anau, 1896, Brotherus (B). 
Krasnowodsk (near Askabad), 1900, Sintenis 
(V). 
Hodscha-Galsuar on the Amu-Darya, 1906, 
Roshewitz, no. 36 (B). 
Afghanistan. No locality, 18—, Hb. Griffith, no. 5901 (K) (B). 
no. 5914 (K). 
No locality, 1885, no. 154, Aitchison (K). 
Beluchistan. Pishin, 1888, Duthie, no. 8713 (K). 
Mungochur, 1851, Stocks (K). 
Yaru Kareg, 1890, Lace (K). 
Diagnosis. 
I. falcifolia Regelia ; rhizoma compactum ; folia anguste 
linearia, falcata, caule breviora ; caulis gracilis ; spathae 2 4 
florae. 
Description. 
Rootstock , a small knarled rhizome of Oncocyclus or Regelia 
character, covered with the hair-like fibres of old leaves. 
Leaves , falcate, narrow, linear, 4 — 8 in. long by ^ in. broad. 
Stem, slender, 6 — 10 in. long, bearing a single terminal 
head. 
Spathes, 1 — i^ in. long, containing 2 to 3, or even 4, 
flowers, apparently green, narrow, acuminate. 
Pedicel , none or very short. 
Ovary, 
Tube , 1 in. 
Falls, oblong, lanceolate, bearded, i£ in. long. 
Standards, i£ in., blade narrowly lanceolate with a canali- 
culate haft, which usually bears a few hairs. 
Styles, 1 in. long, keeled. 
Crests, narrow, pointed, triangular, f in. long. 
Stigma, 
Filaments, 
Anthers, slightly shorter than the filaments. 
Pollen, 
Capsule, of the Regelia character, dehiscing below the 
apex. 
Seeds, oval or pyriform, with distinct whitish aril. 
Observations. 
The appearance of the rhizome of this Iris and of the 
many flowered spathes suggested that it is really a member of 
the Regelia group. This is confirmed by the capsule and by 
the seeds. The former is smaller than, but similar in shape 
to, those of the Regelia Irises and the seeds have the charac- 
teristic white aril (cf. herbarium specimens and Maximowicz’s 
description in B. A. P. l.c. “ hilo perforato albido "). 
I. falcifolia does not appear ever to have been in cultiva- 
tion. 
Fig. 14. 
specimen 
1 falcifolia drawn from a herbarium 
; about two-thirds of the natural size. 
