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IRIS FAMILY (Iridacea) 

 BLUE FLAG (Iris versicolor L.) 



COMMON NAMES: The blue flag is also known as the wild iris, poison- 

 flag, water flag, fleur-de-lis, flower-de-luce. 



DESCRIPTION: The blue flag is an erect, perennial herb from one to two 

 feet high, springing from a thick, fleshy, horizontal rootstock. The flowers 

 are from three to four inches across, violet blue variegated with yellow, 

 green and white towards the centre, with purple markings. The three 

 outer parts of the perianth are larger than the three inner, upright, narrow 

 ones. The three stamens are concealed under the style branches. The 

 leaves are bluish-green, sword-shaped, overlapping. The seed-capsule is 

 upright, oblong, with a stout beak splitting into three pockets containing 

 many reddish-brown seeds somewhat three-cornered and flattened. The 

 flowers are in bloom in May and June, sometimes even in July. 



DISTRIBUTION: The blue flag is native to Canada, and is found from 

 Newfoundland to Manitoba in wet places, along the borders of streams 

 and shallow waters. 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES: The rootstock is poisonous. It contains 

 the acrid, resinous substance irisin or iridin. When eaten, it produces 

 nausea, vomiting, purging, and pain. It is often mistaken for the sweet 

 flag (Acorus Calamus L.) which is not poisonous, and is masticated by some 

 people as a cure for indigestion. When in flower, the two plants are so 

 dissimilar that they could never be taken for one another, but in the 

 autumn when the roots are gathered, nothing remains of the upper portion 

 of the plants. Even then, however, they may be distinguished by their 

 odour, the sweet flag being pleasant aromatic, while the blue flag is 

 unpleasant and nauseous. 



