Monsieur B'Stard's Iris

The Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) was just coming into bloom today at St Aidan's (VC64), and included a clump of the unusual primrose yellow form. This is named var. bastardii, for Toussaint Bastard a 19th Century French doctor and botanist. According to Wikipedia, at least forty other plants are similarly blessed with a name dedicated to Monsieur Bastard. His love of botany was ultimately his cause of death, due to a fall trying to pick a fern at the top of a rock. A lesson for us all!