■ (SPEC) Iris biglumis Sweet (variation of Iris lactea Pallas)

1835, Sweet

'Biglumis' (Robert Sweet, 1835, Siberia), Sweet provides the following: "Root creeping. Scape round, about 3 inches high, entirely enclosed by a pair of leaves, from the bosom of which it issues. Leaves narrow, ensiform, acuminate, erect, rather stiff, and harsh to the touch, of a dull glaucous green, dark red at the base, exceeding the scape, and lengthening considerably after the flowering season. Spathe composed of two broad, ovate-oblong, acute, membranous, green, adpressed, nearly equal leaves; their edges scariose, and overlapping each other towards the base. Flowers mostly 2, sessile, of a pale blue; the segments about equal in size and form, narrow, rather spathulate than lanceolate; the outer 3 reflexed, rathger broader and paler than the inner ones, which are erect, but hardly connivent; the disk of whitish colour, marked with numerous purple veins and spots. Stigmas linear, cloven, deeply and sharply serrated, of a deeper shade of blue. Ovarium about an inch long, marked with 6 furrows; the alternate ones rather deeper.
Very nearly related to I. spuria, but apparently distinct from all the varieties of that species by its shorter stem, broader and glumaceous bracts, and nearly equal segments of its flowers. A native of Siberia, where it was discovered by the celebrated Pallas, who has given a figure and description of the plant in his valuable travels. Our figure will be found to differ in some respects from his; but we have no doubt of the identity of the two plants."--Sweet, The British Flower Garden 2nd Ser. 2: tab. 187. 1833, illustrated; synonym. Iris ensata variety biglumis Koidz.; Iris biglumis Vahl. Enum. 2: 149. 1806; Dammann 1899; synonym. Iris ensata Dykes not Thunberg. This name continually appears in seedlists, so we have provided the above early description. [Now called Iris lactea Pallas var. biglumis Koidz.].

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-- BobPries - 2009-11-03