Tab. 6306. 
IRIS SPECULATRIX. 
Native of Hong-Kong. 
Nat. Orel. IridacejE. — Suborder Iride.ze. 
Genus Iris, Linn. ( Balter in Gard. Chron . 1876, part 1. p. 526.) 
Iris (Evansia) speculatrix ; rhizomate brevi obliquo, foliis productis tribus linea- 
ribus firmis erectis viridibus pedalibus vel sesqui-pedalibus, scapo monoce- 
plialo subpedali arcuato, spathse bifloris valvis tribus linearibus, pedicello ovario 
subsequilongo, tubo lato brevissimo, limbi lilacini segmentis exterioribus 
falcatis, lamina parva orbiculata ungue duplo breviora, fauce albo maculata, 
ungue pallide lilacino maculato crista flava prsedito, segmentis interioribus 
paulo brevioribus, oblanceolatis, erectis, immaculatis, styli ramis segmentis 
interioribus sequilongis, capsulae valvis lanceolatis acuminatis late divergen- 
tibus. 
Iris speculatrix, Hance in Trimen Journ.Bot. 1875, p. 196; 1876, p. 75. Baker 
in Gard. Chron. 1876, part II. p. 36. 
This is a very interesting novelty. It was discovered in 
April, 1874, by a Chinese workman, attached to the botanical 
garden of Hong-Kong, on a hill facing the sea between 
Victoria Peak and Mount Davis, in that island. Its- general 
habit is more like that of one of the Cape or Angolan Morseas 
than that of the ordinary Irises of the north temperate zone, 
but in structure it belongs clearly to the small group of 
crested Irises, of which I. japonica , commonly grown in 
gardens under Ventenat’s name of J. fimbriat a, is the oldest 
and best known representative. Of this group seven species 
are now known, of which two are North American, and the 
others all Japanese, Chinese, and Himalayan. For the fine 
living plant from which the present plate was made, the Kew 
collection is indebted to Mr. C. Ford, of the Hong-Kong 
Botanic Garden. It was received in April, 1877, and came 
into flower immediately after its arrival in this country. The 
plant is not likely to prove hardy in England. 
july 1st, 1877. 
