The Pogoniris Section 135 
and with that of the two kindred species, which both set seed fairly freely, when cultivated under the 
same conditions. 
Our knowledge of these dwarf Himalayan Irises is very limited and yet, since they are so 
abundant as to carpet the ground in some valleys, it ought not to be difficult to bring them more 
largely into cultivation. Unhappily at flowering time, when they would be most conspicuous, their 
growth is only partly developed, and that is consequently not a season at which the rootstocks would 
survive a long journey. To introduce them into Europe, it would be necessary to obtain either seeds 
at the end of the summer, or rootstocks in late autumn, when the leaves were withering. 
THE POGONIRIS SECTION 
This large section contains all those Irises whose outer segments bear a beard of multicellular 
hairs but whose seeds have not the large white raised aril that is found on those of the Oncocyclus 
and Regelia Irises and to some extent on those of the Pseudoregelia section. The following groups 
may be conveniently distinguished : — 
I. The ftavissima group, which forms a transition from the Regelia section (p. 137). 
Characters. Seeds with small but distinct aril ; capsule dehisces below the apex ; flowers twist 
spirally as they wither. 
I. flavissima , /. Bloudowii, /. mandshurica. 
II. The Dwarf European Pogoniris (p. 140). 
Characters. Stem unbranched with a single head of 1 — 3 flowers. 
/. pumila , /. pseudopumila , /. subbiflora , I. chamaeiris , /. mellita, I. Reichenbachii. 
III. The Dwarf Pogoniris of Northern and Eastern Central Asia (p. 153). 
Characters. Closely tufted growths, wrapped at the base in membranous sheaths and fibrous 
remains, thick root fibres, stem very short. 
/. tigridia, /. Potanini. 
IV. The larger European Pogoniris (p. 155). 
Characters. Stem branched (weak specimens will occasionally be found in which the plant has not 
had sufficient energy to produce more than the terminal head. The lateral branches will however be 
produced if the same plant is grown in richer soil). 
/. aphylla , /. variegata, I. gertnanica, I. pallida, I. Cengialti (/. amoena, I. flavescens, /. Kochii, 
/. lurida, I. neglecta , I. sambucina, I. squalens are all probably hybrids). I. albicans (/. Madonna ) 
may be grouped here, though it is probably an Arabian plant (see p. 155). 
V. Pogoniris of Syria and Asia Minor (p. 174). 
Characters. Stem tall and much branched ; flowering season a month later than that of 
/. germa?iica. 
/. Junonia, I. Biliotti, /. trojana, I. mesopotamica, I. cypriana. 
VI. Oriental Pogoniris (p. 178). 
Characters. Spathes membranous rather than scarious, almost transparent. 
I. scariosa, I. imbricata, /. Alberti. 
VII. The Indian Pogoniris group (p. 182). 
Characters. Spathes green, not scarious. 
/. kashmiriana, I. Grijfllhii. 
The individual members of the section may be separated as follows : — 
1. 
2. 
3 - 
4 - 
(Stem unbranched. 
(Stem branched. 
(Stem not produced or extremely short. 
\Stem produced. 
(Rhizome not hidden in fibrous remains of old leaves. 
(Rhizome entirely hidden in fibrous remains of old leaves. 
{ Leaves tapering gradually to a sharp point 
Leaves blunt. 
(Spathes with both valves sharply keeled. 
(Spathes either not keeled or with only one valve slightly keeled. 
I. 
13 - 
2. 
4 - 
I. pumila (p. 142). 
3 - 
/. tigridia (p. 153). 
I. Potanini (p. 154). 
5 - 
7 - 
