Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. II St. Louis, Mo., May, 1914 No. 5 
THE FLEUR-DE-LIS, OR IRIS 
In the coming Pageant and Masque of St. Louis, the 
symbol of French royalty, the fleur-de-lis, will doubtless 
be much in evidence. Although appearing in many con- 
ventional forms, especially in 5 ed St designs, it is prob- 
ably not generally known that the flower represented by the 
fleur-de-lis is usually believed to be not the lily, as the name 
would seem to indicate, but the common flag, or iris. 
The iris figures prominently in many of the very early 
writings on so-called medicinal botany. It was not the 
flower, however, which led the early writers to lay so much 
stress on this plant, but rather the rhizome, or underground 
stem, to with were attributed a host of singular medicinal 
virtues. The use of the stems for the most varied ailments 
was attended by solemn ceremonies, and in time a mysterious 
or even divine influence became ascribed to the iris. This 
sod pie influence has given rise to numerous traditions 
or legends only one of which can be given here, this one 
having been selected because it is frequently referred to 
as offering an explanation of the manner in which the 
fleur-de-lis became the distinctive bearing of the Royal 
family of France. 
In the encounter between the Franks under Clovis and 
the West Goths under Alarie II, at Voulon on the banks 
of the Vienne, in 507, tradition tells us that the Franks 
were at first unable to cross the river owing to the depth 
of the water. A deer, however, frightened by the clatter 
of arms, instinctively ran to the river’s brink and c ; 
safely at a shallow place, thereby pointing out a ford to 
the Franks. At the ford Clovis observed the river iris grow- 
ing in abundance and, recalling the marvelous properties 
attributed to the plants, saw in the aid of the deer an act 
of divine intervention. As a piss of his future victory, 
the leader dismounted and plucked one of the flowered 
stems, and then proceeded across the river. The march 
against the West Goths proved to be a triumphant one 
(63) 
