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IRI S foetidiffima.
, Stinking Iris.
T R 1A N D R I A Monogynia.
G en. C har. Petals 6, fuperior, alternately reflexed.
Stigmas like petals.
Spec. Char. Corolla beardlefs : inner petals fpread-
Ing. Stem with one angle. Leaves fword-fhaped,
Syn . Iris foetidiflima. Linn. Sp. PI. $*]. HudJ-. 14*
Relh. 15. Abbot. 9.
I. fcetida. With. 70. Hull. 1 1 .
I. lylvefiris quam Xyrim vocant. Ran Syn. 375*
I n groves, thickets, and under hedges, but rarely. It is
found near Hornfey, and at Charlton; we have alfo met with
it in Hertfordfhire, and Norfolk. Dr. Withering mentions it
as very common in all the South-weft counties. The flowers
appear in May, and the feeds in the open capfules make a
confpicuous figure in Autumn.
Root perennial, fleftiy, forming thick tufts. Stems near 3
feet high, fmooth, leafy, roundith, with one angle or edge,
and bearing feveral flowers. Leaves ere£t, fword-thaped, deep-
green. Flowers fpringing out of large fheathing bradteae, inodorous,
of a dull pale purple, but from their finely-pencilled
veins not unworthy of a clofe examination. The inner petals
fpread nearly as much as the outer ones, and are about as large
as the ftigmas, which are cloven, but fcarcely fringed. The
capfules are large and inflated, green externally, white within,
containing feveral globular, polifhed, deep orange-coloured
feeds.
The leaves, when bruifed, have a very peculiar offenfive
fmell, which gave occafion to the trivial name; yet this fmell
having fome refemblance to the effluvia of roaft beef, the
name of Roaft-beef plant has been applied as a title of honour
to this Iris.