beautifulflowers032840mbp

Plate 58] IBIS 167
Iris nepalensis, Don. Collett, fig. 172.
A perennial herb. Eootstock stout, prostrate. Stems 6-12 in.
high, slender. Leaves 6-12 in. long at the time of flowering,
lengthening to 2 ft. by i in. afterwards. Spathes li-2 in. long.
Flowers pale lilac, short-stalked. Perianth-tube li in. long ;
limb 1-1| in. long. Blade of sepals i in. broad, oblong, as
long as the claw, crest yellow. Petals in. broad, oblong.
Style-arms 1 in. long and less, deeply 2-lobed, margins toothed.
Capsule 1-lJ in. long, oblong, enclosed in the persistent spathes.
Locality. At elevations of 5,000-10,000 ft.
Distribution. Temperate Himalaya, from the Punjab and
Kashmir eastwards, Khasia Hills.
Pig. 2. Iris ensata, Thunb.
(Ensata means sword-like, referring to the leaf-blade.)
A perennial herb. Rootstock stout, prostrate and creeping.
Stems tufted, short, or 1^-2 ft.
high, stout or slender.
Leaves li ft. by i-i in., linear, rigid, grooved, greenish blue.
Spathes 3-4 in. long, 1-3-fiowered. Flowers lilac or white,
sepals and petals often with purplish veins, stalked. Perianthtube
absent ;
blade of sepals rhomboidly egg-shaped, blunt,
entire, shorter than the claw, neither created nor bearded,
lJ-2 by i-f in. Petals inversely lance-shaped, erect, 4 in.
broad. Stamens 3, at the base of the outer perianth-segments ;
filaments distinct ;
anthers linear. Ovary 3 -celled, 1 in. long,
cylindric ;
ovules many. Style linear, style-arms 3, 1 in. long,
linear, crests large, tip sharply bifid. Capsule li-3 by i-f in.,
6-ribbed, beaked, ribs rounded.
Floivers. May.
Locality. Srinagar, in field on left bank of Jhelum ;
above
Drogjun, in a marsh.
Distribution. Kashmir, 5,000-9,000 ft., temperate Asia.
Iris spuria, Linn. Spurious Iris.
A perennial herb. Eootstock stout, prostrate and creeping.
Stem 2-3 ft. high, sheathed. Leaves 1-3 ft. by \-\\ in.,
sword-shaped, leathery, strongly streaked. Spathes 2-3 in.
long, 2-3-flowered, linear- oblong, firm, green. Flowers 2-3 in.
diameter, bright lilac. Perianth-tube long ; sepals \ in. broad,
blade round, half as long as the claw, claw keeled. Petals