Dykes in The Genus Iri, 1913; Description. This description is taken partly from the original account, partly from the Botanical Magazine (I.e.) and partly from Foster's MS. notes. Rootstock , a short-creeping rhizome, weaker than that of I. pumila. Leaves, about 4 to a tuft, linear, glaucescent, 4-6 ins. long at flowering time. Stem, one-headed, about as long as the leaves. Spathe , one-flowered ; valves lanceolate, herbaceous, 2-2½ in. long. Pedicel , scarcely any. Ovary, under 1 in. long, rounded trigonal. Tube , green cylindrical, as long as the ovary. Falls , oblong-cuneate, reflexing from half-way down, with a dark signal patch and a dense yellow beard. The colour of the segments is either lilac purple, or greenish yellow with thick dark purple veins. Standards , longer than the falls, oblong-unguiculate, erect; the colour is either lilac purple slightly paler than the falls or greenish yellow with brown veins. Styles , broad and convex on the back. Crests , small, deltoid crenate. Stigma( , entire. *Filaments , Anthers , longer than the filament. Pollen , Capsule , of the Oncocyclus character, 2½ in. long, pointed at either end. Seeds , globular, light reddish brown, with conspicuous aril.Observations.This Iris was classed by Baker among the Pogoniris and said to be allied to I. chamaeiris but the specimens quoted and the details which Baker himself gives (Bot. Mag., I.e.) leave no doubt that I. meda belongs to the Oncocyclus group. This supposition is confirmed by a note in Foster's MS. that the seeds of the plants, from which the Botanical Magazine figure was prepared, were large and globular with a conspicuous aril. The figure portrayed the yellow-flowered variety, which is mentioned by Stapf in his original description, although his type had purple flowers.In 1888 Foster received from the plains between Tel Erman and Armonde to the south of Mardin in Mesopotamia an Iris very closely allied to I. meda, if not identical with it (MS.). It grew there abundantly in a somewhat light red loam and its rhizome was markedly stoloniferous. It only differed from I. meda in having a whitish and not a distinctly yellow beard and slightly broader falls. For cultivation see the remarks on the Oncocyclus section, p. 108. |