290 



IRIDACE^E. 



Iris. 



Order CXIV. IRIDACE.E. Juss. The Iris Tribe. 



Perianth with the limb 6-parted in a double series, sometimes irregular; the 

 tube adherent to the 3-celled ovary, and usually elongated above it. Stamens 

 3 ; the filaments sometimes monadelphous : anthers extrorse. Style single : 

 stigmas 3, dilated or petaloid. Ovary 3-celled, with numerous anatropous 

 ovules. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, loculicidal. Seeds roundish, with hard 

 albumen. — Mostly perennial herbs, with flowering stems which spring from 

 rhizomas, bulbs or corms. Leaves equitant. Flowers spathaceous, usually 

 large and showy. 



1. IRIS. Linn.; Endl. gen. 1226. IRIS. FLOWER DE LUCE. 



[So named from the beautiful and varied colors of its flowers.] 



Perianth 6-cleft ; the alternate segments larger and reflexed, the others erect. Stamens distinct. 

 Stigmas 3, very large and petaloid, covering the stamens. — Herbs with large showy flowers, 

 mostly growing in wet places ; the rhizoma tuberous and horizontal, rarely bulbous. 



1. Iris versicolor, Linn. Blue Flag. 



Stem terete or slightly compressed, more or less flexuous ; leaves broadly linear ; flowers 

 beardless ; ovary obtusely triangular, with the sides flat ; capsule oblong, turgid, with rounded 

 angles. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 39 ; Bot. mag. t. 21 ; Pursh, Jl. 1. p. 29 ; Ell. sk. l.p.4.5; 

 Bigel. vied. bot. t. 16, fl- Bost. p. 15 ; Torr. Jl. 1. p. 35 ; Beck, bot. p. 353 ; Darlingt. 

 Jl. Cest. p. 13. I. Virginica, Pursh, I. c. ; Bot. mag. t. 703, not of Linn. 



Rhizoma fleshy and horizontal, throwing down numerous fibrous roots. Stem 2-3 feet 

 high, rather stout, simple or sometimes branched, 2 - 6-flowcred at the summit. Leaves 

 12-18 inches long, and half an inch or more in breadth. Flowers blue, variegated with 

 green, yellow and white at the base : outer segments of the perianth spatulate ; the inner 

 ones narrower. Style short : stigmas very large and resembling petals, ligulate, violet blue, 

 2-lipped, crenale and 2-lobed at the extremity. Capsule obscurely 3-sided. Seed flat, tri- 

 angular. 



Wet meadows, borders of swamps, etc. : common. May - June. The root, according to 

 Dr. Bigelow, is a violent emetic. In the South its properties seem to be somewhat different : 

 it is there a popular remedy for dropsy. Elliott states that it is decidedly diuretic ; the 

 efficacy of the flag being promoted by mixing it with one-fourth part of the root of Eryngium 

 yucca folium. 



