TRIS FLORENTINA, ORD. XLVII. Ensate. 777 
THE root is perennial, tuberous, ponderous, somewhat com- 
pressed, branched, fibrous, externally brown, intérnally of a 
yellowish white colour: the leaves are svoriehaped, radical, 
inserted in each other, pointed, Shorter than the stem, and of a 
dull green colour: the stem is round, smooth, jointed, and about 
a foot in height: the flowers are large, upright, of a white colour, 
and often have a bluish tinge: the calyx is a spatha of two valves: 
the corolla divides into six segments or petals, of these, three stand 
erect, the other three, isch: are of an irregular oval shape, turn 
back, and at the base are painted with brown lines, and bearded 
with yellow hairs; the filaments are three, and crowned with long 
yellow anthera ; the style is short and simple; the stigma separates 
into three expanded segments, resembling petals, which arch 
over the stamina; the germen is long, of an obtusely triangular 
shape, and placed below the corolla; the capsule has three cavities, 
which contain numerous flat brown seeds. 
This Iris is a native of Italy, and flowers in June: it was cul- 
tivated in England by. Gerard in 1596, and is now constantly 
propagated by the florists; but the roots of the Orris produced in 
this country have neither the odour, nor the other qualities, of 
those of warmer climates, so that for medicinal use they are com- 
monly imported from Leghorn. 
The root, in its recent state, is extremely acrid, and when 
chewed excites a pungent heat in the mouth, which continues 
several hours: on being dried, this acrimony is almost wholly 
dissipated, the taste slightly bitter, and the smeil agreeable, and 
approaching to that of violets. No essential oil has been hitherto 
obtained from this root, but spirituous tinctures of it contain more 
of its virtues than watery infusions. The fresh root is a powerful 
cathartic, and for this purpose its juice has been employed in the 
dose of a dram and upwards in dropsies. It is now chiefly used 
in its dried state, and ranked as a pectoral, or expectorant, and 
hence has a place in the Trochisci amyli of the London Pharm. 
We have however no evidence of its expectorant powers, and 
No. 54.—vot. 4. 91L 
