7! 
THE IRIS. 
is sometimes called Afternoon Iris, or Scissor 
plant. It lias the slenderest stem, and smallest 
flower of all the Irises ; the flowers never ex- 
pand until after midday : hence its trivial 
name. In Dauria its Mogul name is CheitscM 
(scissors), from the form of the fork, produced 
by the two branches which support the flower. 
This is not even " the flower of a day," for 
it collapses before night by a two-fold inflec- 
tion. 
Iris elegans. (The elegant Iris.) — A hardy 
herbaceous perennial, growing two feet high, 
and flowering in July. The flowers are 
yellow. 
Iris ensata. (The sword-leaved Iris.) — A 
hardy herbaceous perennial, growing a foot 
and a half high, and producing blue purple 
flowers in June and July. Native of Austria. 
Iris Jiavescens. (The flavescent Iris.) — A 
hardy herbaceous perennial, growing two feet 
high, and flowering in May and June. The 
flowers are yellow. 
Iris Jlavissi?na. (The yellowest Iris.) — 
A hardy herbaceous perennial, growing from 
six to nine inches high, and bearing bright 
yellow flowers in May and June. Native of 
Siberia. 
Iris flexuosa. (The zig-zag Iris.) — A hardy 
herbaceous perennial, growing two feet high. 
The flowers are white : blooms in May and 
June. • Native of Germany. 
Iris florentina. (The Florentine Iris.) — 
A hardy herbaceous perennial, growing two 
feet high. . Its leaves are broad ; the flowers 
large and light grey, almost white. It flowers 
in May and June, and is a native of Italy, and 
other parts of the South of Europe. A variety 
called minor, has light grey flowers. The 
dried root of this plant was formerly used in 
medicine; but it is now confined to some insig- 
nificant lozenges as an expectorant; and to the 
manufactory of the perfumer, to whom it is 
known by the name of Orris, or Orrice-root, 
being used to give to certain articles, such as 
hair powder, the scent of violets, for which 
purpose it is imported, our climate not pro- 
ducing the flavour and other qualities pos- 
sessed by the Italian root. 
The Orris-root is frequently chewed by 
persons troubled with fetid breath, and was 
formerly much esteemed in medicine ; at pre- 
sent it is chiefly employed to communicate a 
pleasant flavour. 
Iris fcetidissima. (The most fetid, or the 
Gladwyn Iris.) — A hardy evergreen herba- 
ceous perennial, growing two feet high, and 
upwards. The flowers are of a livid blue, 
opening in June and July. It is a native of 
Britain, in shady places. A variety with 
striped leaves is called variegata. 
Iris fragrans. (The fragrant Iris.) — A 
hardy herbaceous perennial, growing about 
two feet high. The flowers are purple at the 
extremities, and white, with purple streaks 
lower down the throat, and blooming in May 
and June. It is from the north of India. 
Iris fulva. " 
Iris fulva. (The copper-coloured Iris.) — 
A hardy herbaceous perennial, growing three 
feet high. It has long narrow leaves, and 
large showy orange or bright copper-coloured 
flowers. It flowers in June and July, and is 
also called I. cuprea. Native of the low 
grounds, on the banks of the Mississipi, near 
New Orleans. 
Iris furcata. (The forked Iris.) — A hardy 
herbaceous perennial, growing two feet high, 
with moderately broad leaves, and small com- 
pact flowers, of a dee]) violet purple. It 
flowers in March and April. Native of the 
northern Caucasus. 
Iris germanica. (The German, or common 
purple Iris.) — A hardy herbaceous perennial, 
common in every garden, but, perhaps, one of 
the most shewy of the species. It grows about 
two feet and a half high, and has very broad 
leaves, and large flowers, the outer reflexed 
petals of which are dark purple, the inner 
erect ones light blue. There is a small variety, 
called pygmcea, and one with white flowers, 
called flora alba. It flowers from May to 
July. Native of Germany and Switzerland. 
The flowers are fragrant. " A pigment, used 
by miniature painters, called vert d'iris, or 
Iris green, is made from the flowers, mace- 
rated, and left to putrify, when chalk, or alum, 
is added. The root, when first tasted, is 
slightly bitter, afterwards producing a most 
insufferable heat in the throat, as do the 
flowers in a lesser degree." 
