kinds, all exceedingly beautiful and distinct from each 
other ; those most generally known, are Xiphioides, 
Xiphium, Variegata, and Germanica. The first has 
large flowers, seifs, and mottled, blue, purple, lilac, 
rose, and white. The second has smaller flowers, 
lemon, orange, bronze, rosy salmon, blue, and blue 
purple. The two last have large flowers, self, mot- 
tled, bordered, and striated ; blue, purple, brown, 
bronze, crimson, lemon, yellow, lilac, and white.” 
Our plant, like most of those which are received 
from the continent, possesses a mixed character, 
which, although it may destroy its botanical iden- 
tity, has increased its beauty. These bulbous Irises, 
when raised from seed, sport into varieties, even 
without fertilization; but when hybridized by an 
allied species, or, what is more usual, cross-bred, 
that is, being raised between varieties of its own spe- 
cies, the result has been the produce of splendid 
flowers, varying interminably in their tints, which 
on the continent are cultivated under high-sounding 
names, as florist’s flowers usually are. 
It is not the bulbous Irises alone, which have 
met especial attention, for the tuberous species also, 
such as Germanica, Pallida, Swertii, and others, 
have been hybridized together, and numerous vari- 
eties of great beauty obtained, and cultivated as flo- 
rist’s flowers. So attractive; so easy of culture ; and 
so readily obtained, at small cost, that we especially 
recommend to our readers increased attention to 
the cultivation of both bulbous and tuberous Irises. 
In no tribe of plants is there more powerful, or 
more pleasurably surprising evidence of the finger of 
Him, who provides us all things richly to enjoy. 
