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claws, having a purple border marked with deeper coloured
veins, the lamina oval, of a deep blue, cloven at the top, yellow
and white below, with dark blue and purple veins ; inner
3 shorter, of an uniform deep blue, spathulate, flat, cloven,
gradually attenuated towards the base. Filaments flat,
dilated, purple and spotted. Anthers linear, mucronulate,
milk-white, twice longer than the filaments. Pollen orange.
Ovarium oblong, 6- sided, elongated and attenuated at the top,
an inch and a halflong, 3 of the angles concave, even, broader,
the 3 others elevated, flat, with the margins rather wavy
and partially overlapping the hollow ones, the apex as long
as the ovarium itself. Stigmas petaliform, broadly linear,
keeled above, violet, cloven into two oblong, blunt, securiform
segments, entire or furnished with a solitary lobe, involute
at the edges, shorter than the inner segments of the
perianthium ; posterior lip of two very short, fleshy, mucronulate,
crenulate, adpressed, white lobes.
Cultivated by Miller in 1759, but is now seldom seen except
in Botanic gardens, although few plants are more worthy
of a place in the flower border ; its tall and slender habit,
with its large and elegant blossoms of a rich blue and purple,
and flowering at a late period of the summer when very few
of this showy family are in blossom, render it one of the
most desirable species of the genus. We have had already
occasion to speak of the extreme uncertainty of colour as an
indication of a specific distinction in the Irideoe, and we are
therefore very sceptical as to the claims of the various forms
analogous to the present which have been recognised as
species by different authors.
Linnæus gave the name of Spuria to this species from an
erroneous idea which he entertained of its being a hybrid
production between Iris fcetidissima and germanica.
The plant loves a deep loamy soil, and is readily m ultiplied
by parting the roots.
Our drawing was taken at the Botanic garden, Chelsea,
in the end of June last.
The generic name will be found explained at fol. 56.
D . Don.
1. Stigma and stamen. 2. Longitudinal section of the ov.wiuin.
3. Transverse section of ditto.
11 7- I