they have one bell- Shaped petal, cut aim aft to the bot- 
tom into three Segments which are roiled backward, 
and are hairy •, within they are of a yellow colour, and 
are fucceeded by an oblong, ovai, flefhy fruit, fhaped 
like a Plum, including a hard nut of the fame form. 
The fecond fort grows naturally id Egypt, where it 
becomes a tree of middling fize. The Stem is large find 
Woody ; the branches are Slender and Stiff •, they have a 
green bark while young, and are armed with Strong 
ipines • the leaves come out by pairs ; they are larger 
than thole of the Box-tree, and end in points, but are of 
the like confidence and colour. The dowers come 
out on the fide of the branches'; they are fliaped like 
thofe of the Hyacinth, but are fmall, and of a white 
colour ; thefe are fucceeded by oblong black berries 
including an oval nut, having one kernel or feed. 
Both thefe forts are propagated by feeds, which mult 
be procured from the countries where they grow na- 
turally ; thefe Should be fovvn in pots filled with light 
earth, and plunged into a good hot-bcd of tanners 
bark. If the feeds are frefh, the plants will appear in fix 
weeks or two months. When thefe are about three 
inches high, they muft be each carefully tranfplanted 
into a feparate fmall pot filled with light earth, and 
plunged into a good hot-bed of tanners bark, where 
they mull be Shaded from the fun till they have 
taken new root ; then they muft be treated in the 
fame manner as other tender plants from the warm 
countries. During the firSl Slimmer they may be kept 
in the tan-bed under frames, where they will thrive 
better than in the ftove ; but in autumn, when the 
nights grow cool, they Should be removed into the 
ftove, and plunged into the tan-bed ; and in this they 
Should always be kept, observing to Shift them into 
larger pots when they require it ; and in fummer, 
when the feafort is warm, they Should have a large 
Share of free air admitted to them. With this ma- 
nagement the plants will thrive well, but they cannot 
be expedted to flower very foon in this country. 
XIPH ION or XIPHIUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 362. 
tab. 189. Iris. Lin. Gen. Plant. 5.7. Bulbous Iris, or 
Flower-de-luce. 
The Characters are, 
Phe flowers have each a permanent fpatha or Jheath ; 
they have fix petals , the three outer broad , obtufe , and 
reflexed , the inner ere 51 , pointed, and joined to the other 
at their bafe *, they have three awl-Jhap'ed fiamina , which 
lie upon the reflexed petals, and are terminated by oblong 
deprefjed fummits, and an oblong germen under the flower, 
fupporting a Jhort flyle, crowned by a tripartite fligma. 
j the germen afterward becomes an oblong angular capfulc 
with three cells , filled with roundifh feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedtion of 
Tournefort’s ninth clafs,jwhich includes the herbs with 
a Lily flower cut into fix parts, whofe empalement 
becomes the fruit. He feparates this from Iris, be- 
caufe the root is bulbous, to which we may add, that 
the leaves are boat- Shaped, and the ftigma of the Bower 
is long and narrow. Dr. Linnaeus joins the plants of 
this genus, as alfo the Sifyrinchium and Hermodac- 
tylus of Tournefort, to his genus of Iris, and places 
it in the firft fedtion of his third clafs, which contains 
thofe plants whofe flowers have three ftamina and one 
flyle. And although there is no material diftindtion 
between the flowers of this genus and thole of Iris, yet, 
as there are many fpecies of the latter, it is better to fe- 
parate thefe plants from them, as they differ greatly 
in their external habit. 
The Species are, 
1. Xiphium. (. Perficum ) foliis carinatis caule longiori- 
bus. Bulbous Iris , with keel-Jhaped leaves which are 
longer than the flalk. Xiphion Perficum prmcox, flore 
variegato. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 363. Early Perflan bul- 
bous Iris , with a variegated flower. 
2. Xiphium (Vulgare) foliis lubulato-canaliculatis, caule 
brevioribus. Bulbous Iris, with channelled awl-floaped 
leaves which are fiorter than the flalk. Iris bulbofa, 
flore csruleo violaceo. C. B. P. 38. Bulbous Iris with 
a blue Violet flower. 
3. Xiphium ( Latifolium ) foliis fubulato-canaliculatis, flo- 
ribus riiajoribus. Bulbous Iris, with channelled awl- 
fhaped leaves and larger flowers. Xiphion latifolium, 
daule donatum, flore caeruleo. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 
^63. Broad-leaved bulbous Iris, having a flalk and a blue 
4. Xiphium ( Planifolium ) foliis planis caule longioribus. 
BulboUs Iris-; with plain leaves which are longer than the 
flalk. Iris bulbofa latifolia, flore cteruleo. j. B. 2. 703, 
Broad-leaved bulbous Iris, with a blue flower. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Perfia, but has been 
many years cultivated in the English gardens for the- 
beauty of its flowers ; it has an oval bulbous root, 
from which came out five or fix pale green' leaves, 
which are hollowed like the keel of a boat ; they are 
about fix inches long, and one broad at the bafe, end- 
ing in points. Between thefe the flower-ftalk arifes, 
which is feldom above three inches high, fupporting 
one or two flowers’, which are included in fpathas (or 
Sheaths) ; thefe have three eredt petals called Stan- 
dards, which are of a pale Sky blue colour, and three 
re flexed petals called falls, which on their outfide are 
of the fame Colour ; but the lip has a yellow Streak 
running through the middle, and on each Side are many 
dark fpots, with one large deep purple fpot at the bot- 
tom. Thefe flowers have a very fragrant feent, and 
generally appear in February, which renders them 
more valuable. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the warm parts of 
Europe. There are feveral varieties of this fpecies : 
the moft common fort is blue, but there is one with 
a yellow, and another with a white flower ; one with 
a blue flower having white falls, another with yellow 
falls ; one with a Violet-coloured flower having blue 
falls, with fome others *, but thefe are all fuppofed t<y 
be varieties which have been proceed by culture. 
The root of this is bulbous ; the leaves are hollow or 
channelled, ending in points, where their two fides 
meet ; thefe are not fo long as the flower-ftalk which 
rifles between them, and is embraced by the bafe of 
the leaves. This fupports two or three flowers, which 
are each inclofed in a feparate Sheath, at the top of 
the Stalk. The flowers are fhaped like thofe of the 
firft fort, but differ in their colour. This fort flowers 
in May, and the feeds ripen in Auguft. 
The third fort has much larger bulbous roots than 
either of the former. The leaves are Shaped like thofe 
of the fecond fort, but are much larger ; the flower- 
ftalk is near twice the height of the fecond fort, and 
the flowers are more than double their Size. This is 
by fome fuppofed to be only a variety of the fecond 
fort, but I think it a diftindt fpecies, for I have many 
years railed a great number of the plants from feed, 
and have never found a Angle one degenerated to the 
fecond fort, and have railed many of the fecond fort 
from feeds, without one inftance of a plant improving 
to the third fort. 
There is a great variety of this fpecies, which differ 
in the colours of their flowers. Some are of a deep 
blue, others of a light or fky blue, fome of a deep 
purple, and others with fine variegated flowers, which 
make a fine appearance during their continuance, 
which is not long, unlefs the feafon proves cold, or 
the flowers are Shaded from the fun. This fort flowers 
five or fix weeks after the fecond fort, which is alfo an 
argument for its being fpecifically different. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Spain and Portu- 
gal. The root of this has a dark-coloured coat, but 
is white within, and of a fweet tafte. The leaves are 
eight or nine inches long, and more than an inch 
broad at their bafe •, they are almoft plain, but toward 
their bafe are hollowed like the keel of a boat, and 
end in points, being of a pale green on their upper 
fide, and a little hoary on their under. The flowers 
ftand upon naked foot^ftalks which arife from the 
root, and grow five or fix inches high, fuftaining two 
or three flowers at the top, which are each wrapped 
up in a feparate Sheath ; thefe are Shaped like thofe of 
the other forts, and have a very agreeable odour ; 
they appear in May, but are of Short duration. 
There 
