145 
The Pogoniris Section 
The cultivation of this Iris is not difficult, provided that the position is sunny and well drained 
and the soil not deficient in lime. Probably heavy soil suits the plant better than pure sand but in 
any case drainage is essential. 
The plants may be lifted and divided with benefit soon after the flowers have faded, for the growths 
are very closely packed and the soil tends to become exhausted. 
Seeds are not easily obtained and some forms seem to be sterile in cultivation, even when arti- 
ficially pollinated. However, any seeds that are obtained germinate quickly and the seedlings soon 
reach flowering size. I have even had a case of a seedling which germinated early in the spring and 
flowered in the autumn. This was doubtless exceptional, but all seedlings should flower within eighteen 
months of the time at which the seeds germinate. 
The species seems to be very variable in several points, for some specimens are very sweetly 
scented and smell like Heliotrope, while others appear to have no fragrance at all. Every shade of 
blue and red purple seems to occur, and the beards also vary in amount of yellow at the base. In 
some this becomes almost a bright orange, while in others it is nearly entirely obscured by a bluish 
tinge. 
1 1 . SUBDIFLORA 
(Plate XXXIII) 
Brotero, FI. Lusit. I. p. 50 (1804). 
•Phyt. Lusit. II. p. 47, t. 96 (1827). 
•Bot. Mag. t. 1130 (1808). 
Coutinho in Boll. Soc. Brot. xv. p. 65 (1898). 
Rouy, Rev. Bot. Syst. I. p. 29 (1903). 
Synonyms. 
/. biflora , Linn. Sp. PI. p. 38 (1753) [In part only, because Linnaeus’ description is probably based on a 
confusion ; see Observations]. 
I. fragrans , Salisb. in Trans. Hort. Soc. I. p. 303 (1812). 
I. lisbonensis, Dykes in Gard. Chron. XLVII. p. 146 (1910) [see Observations]. 
Distribution. Portugal, the south of Spain, and also probably N. Africa. 
Portugal ; Coimbra, 1878, Moller (K). 
1909, Henriques (HortD). 
Arredores de Coimbra ; Ponsada, 1888, Moller (B). 
Lisbon, 1848, VVelwitsch (BM) (C). 
1871, Maw (K). 
1846, Trevelyan (K) (E). 
Estoril, 1910, Tait (HortD). 
Monsanto, 1850-51, Welwitsch (K) (C). 
1875, Escola Polytechnica (K). 
1911, Pereira Coutinho (Esc. Polyt. Coimbra). 
1877, Daveau (C). 
Cascaes, 1848, Trevelyan (C). 
Estremadura, 1848, Welwitsch (C) (BM). 
Moncorvo, 191 1 , Tait (HortD). 
Spain. Ronda (Sierra de la Hidalga), 1910, Bartle Frere (HortD). 
North Africa. Tangiers, 1872, Blackmore (K). 
Diagnosis. 
/. subbi/lora Pogoniris ; /. pseudopumilae valde similis sed spathae latiores subacuminatae. 
Description. 
Rootstock , a compact rhizome, about an inch in width. 
Leaves, 4 — 8 in. by 1 — 1 in., ensiform, often narrowing suddenly to an incurved point. 
Stem, about 8—12 inches in height, usually bearing small clasping leaves of varying length which 
almost entirely hide it, and usually only one flower. 
Spathe, 1 — 2 flowered ; valves acute, often scarious in the upper half and sometimes tinged with 
purple, varying in length from 1^ to 3^ in., the outer slightly keeled. 
Pedicel, very short. 
Ovary, obscurely trigonal. 
Tube, i£ — 2 in. long, with purplish stripes in the line of the standards. 
Falls. The obovate blade is not separated by any constriction from the broad wedge-shaped haft, 
which is veined with broad veins of brown purple on a whitish ground. The blade is of a deep blue 
purple, and the hairs of the beard are bluish in front, then white tipped with blue and finally with 
brownish yellow. 
Standards, obovate with a short, canaliculate haft, rather lighter in colour than the falls, with faint 
darker veins. The haft is veined with red brown on a pale ground. 
D. 
19 
