was scarcely an exact science, and the _fleur-de-Louis_ soon became
corrupted into its present form. Doubtless the royal flower was the
white iris, and as _li_ is the Celtic for white, there is room for
another theory as to the origin of the name. It is our far more regal
looking, but truly democratic blossom, jostling its fellows in the
marshes, that is indeed "born in the purple."

The name iris, meaning a deified rainbow, which was given this
group of plants by the ancients, shows a fine appreciation of their
superb coloring, their ethereal texture, and the evanescent beauty
of the blossom.


Blackberry Lily

_Belamcanda chinensis_ (_Pardanthus chinensis_)

_Flowers_--Deep orange color, speckled irregularly with crimson and
purple within _(Pardos_ = leopard; _anthos_ = flower); borne in
terminal, forked clusters. Perianth of 6 oblong, petal-like, spreading
divisions; 6 stamens with linear anthers; style thickest above, with 3
branches. _Stem:_ 1-1/2 to 4 ft. tall, leafy. _Leaves:_ Like the iris;
erect, folded blades, 8 to 10 in. long. _Fruit:_ Resembling a
blackberry; an erect mass of round, black, fleshy seeds, at first
concealed in a fig-shaped capsule, whose 3 valves curve backward, and
finally drop off.

_Preferred Habitat_--Roadsides and hills.

_Flowering Season_--June-July.