294r 
CAvgvbt, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
jJEER-GBAss —{Itliexia Yivgi7iica.) 
fringed flower to the stalk. We have be 
much pleased with the abundance of these tl: 
have fallen under our observation this seaso 
and hope in due time to give engravings of tlie 
Among the plants of our low lands, no 
makes more show than the Deer-grass ” 
which, by the way, is no grass at all, but ^ 
have to accept common names as we find thei 
This plant is so striking in its appearance, ai 
has been sent us so often for a name, that \ 
have figured it. Its botanical name is Bhex 
Virginica. The derivation of the generic nam 
BTiexia, is not well made out; the specific nan 
Virginica, was applied to it before the ge 
graphy of this country was well understoo- 
The plant is not peculiar to Virginia, but 
found from Massachusetts far southward Tl 
plant belongs to the family Melastomacem, or 
Which gives us many valued green-house plan 
irotn the tropics; but is only represented wit 
US by the genus Bhexia. The leaves of tl 
plants in this family are all opposite, ver 
strongly ribbed, and the anthers burst i 
an unusual manner-by openings or pores i 
e apex, instead of by the ordinary way of 
ongitudinal slit. We have three species ( 
Bhexia m the Northern States, but the one w 
ave figured is the showiest. This plant wa 
g ago cultivated in England, and we see n 
ouT^^ ^ introduced int 
■p ^ gaidens. The peculiar form of th 
four petaled, bright purple fiower with the cor 
SPICUOUS yellow an,here, gi™ i. so pe« Ua. a 
appearance, that it ,l,e p,„„t were potted n 
one except a practical b„,a„i,t woold reco" 
we ,t as an inhabitant of on,- Easter^ sUmp° 
Later will come the most gorgeous of all our 
wild flowers. Lobelia cardinalis, the Cardinal 
Flower, before the intense brilliancy of whose 
color the exotics pale. But we can not notice 
now all that one will meet with in a ramble. 
We would merely give the advice to those who 
would transfer these wild beauties to their 
grounds, to mark the plants while in flower, 
and if there are many ramblers in the neighbor¬ 
hood, to follow the practice of one of our friends, 
and render the plants less conspicuous, by re¬ 
moving the flowers. Mark with good stakes, 
that can be readily recognized — a common 
stick with a bit of white rag tied to the top, so 
as to flutter in the wind, we have found to be 
as good as anything—and after the foliage is 
dead, transfer the plants to a situation in° the 
garden as near like their natural one as may be. 
The Flower de Luce. 
The name Flower de Luce has been appliei 
some species of Iris, because it was assumec 
Louis VII., of France, as his badge or de'v 
It was in old French fleur de Louis, and the 
^^rBfieur ds lys is a change from the origi 
So much for the derivation of a common m 
about which people who try to be correct di) 
Flower de Luce is as much English, aim 
owers, as avoirdupois is in respect to weio-i 
very one knows our common wild Blue FI 
hat IS a Flower de Luce, or, botanically spe 
Ins versu^lor. The genus Iris is a large c 
< I d comprises both tender and hardy spec 
Our present object is tp call attention to 
DWAKF iKis— {Irispumila.) 
hardy ones, as there are few hardy herbaceous 
perennials that will give more satisfixction than 
a collection of the best sorts of Iris / they pre¬ 
sent a great variety of color, from white, through 
blue and deep purple to yellows and browns. 
One of the very earliest is the European Dwarf 
Iris, Iris pumila. Its leaves grow but a few 
inches high, and its very early flowers are borne 
on very short stems. We have figured this spe¬ 
cies of its natural size. Ordinarily its flowers 
are of a violet color, but it varies from white to 
pure blue. On account of the low growth of 
the plant and its hardiness, it is very useful for 
edgings. It is not at all particular as to soils, 
and does very well in a dry situation. We have 
three native species of Dwarf Iris, which, if 
brought into cultivation, would doubtless be as 
valuable as the old IHs pumila. These are the 
Iris vern'a, found on the hill-sides of Virginia 
and Kentucky; Iris cristata, which grows in 
similar localities, and Iris lacustris, another 
dwarf species, found along the shores of the great 
lakes of the West. These native species bloom 
in April and May, and are well worthy the at¬ 
tention of cultivators. Among the taller grow¬ 
ing kinds are: Iris Oermanica, the common 
Flower de Luce of the old gardens, and Iris 
samhucina, the elder-scented kind. I. variegata 
and 1. Belgica, (of the books,) give no end of 
pleasing varieties, and some of them give a quite 
late bloom. All that we have mentioned have 
large and fleshy root-stocks, which are readily 
divided, and give an abundance of plants. The 
“ orris root ” of the drug stores, much valued for 
its violet perfume, is the dried root of Iris Flor- 
entina, a species often found in our collections. 
