Iris Pseudacorus. Yellow Iris. 
IRIS Lin. Gen. PL Triandria Monogynia 
■n ■■ r ^ Csr. Limbo 4. partito : alternis reflexis. pctaliformL^ 
^ Kail. 0)’». {yen. 26. Herba: radice bulbosa predita:. 
IRIS Pfeudacorus QQxoWis imbeiblbus, petalis interioribus ftigmate minoribus, foliis eiifformibus. Lin 
T-p-rq ^ ■ a c 1" %c’ 79 ; ^P- PLp, 56. ¥l Suec. n. 37. 
IRIS imberbibus, mikraji.,,. r.6o. 
IRIS paluftris lutea. Ger. em. 50. 
ACORUS adulterinus. Bauh.pin. 
ACOR 0 S palullris, five Pfejido-iris et Iris lutea pebftris. Pari laij. na,i.Syn.p. 174. Yellow water 
r lower-de-luce. c /-t 
Hudfon. FI. Angi ed. z.p. 14. Lighlfoot. FI. Scot.p. 86. Oeder. FL Don. t. 404. 
ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of ones thumb, hori- 
zontal, externally blackilh, reddifh with- 
infide, and fpongy, the upper phrt covered 
with numerous rigid fibres, its lower part 
fending down many long, whitifh, wrinkled, 
ilringy roots. 
LEAVES from the root, two or three feet high, np- 
ri^ht, broad, I'word-fliaped, with a prominent 
midrib, at bottom riding one on another and 
covered with a glutinous fubftance, thole on 
the Ralk fhorter, alternate, forming a fheath 
at the bottom. 
STALKS from one to three feet in height, upright, 
alternately inclined from joint to joint, round, 
fmooth, and fpongy. 
FLOWERS upright* fhowy, of a yellow colour. 
FLOWER-SL'^LKS proceeding from the al<e of the 
leaves, round, but flattened on one fide and 
fmooth. 
a Spa tha containing two or three flowers, of 
two, three, or four valves according to the 
number of flowers. 
COROLLA deeply divided into fix fegraents: the 
three outermoft fegments or Petals large, 
ofa roundifh oval fhape, turning back, painted 
at the bafe of the broad part with lines of a 
reddifh brown colour, and at the bottom of 
the claw or narrow part having the appear- 
ance of two fmall holes. Jig. 1. 2. 
STAMINA; three Fillaments flat and tapering; 
Anthera: oblong, yellow, edges purplilh, 
bent down by the fligma prefling on them, 
having two cavities which are linear and 
open on the under fide. fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen placed below the corolla, 
three cornered, the angles blunt and grooved; 
Style fender, fhorter than the ftigma; 
Stigma very large, deeply divided into three 
fegments, of a yellow colour, the fegraents 
oblong, above keel-fhaped, below con- 
cave, at the top veiny, fawed at the edge 
and fubdivided into three fegments of which 
the middle one is very fhort and placed under- 
neath. fig. 4. 5. 6 . 
SEED-VESSEL an oblong, angular Capsule, of 
three cavities and three valves, fig. 7. 
SEEDS numerous, large, of a yellowifh colour and 
flattened on both fides, fig. 8. 
RADIX perennis, craffitie pollicis, horizontalis, foris 
nigricans, intus rubicundus, fpongiofus, fu- 
perne plurimis fibrillis rigidis obtecta, inferne 
dimittens radiculas longas, albidas, rugofas. 
FOLIA radicalia, bl aut tripedalia, ere£ta, lata, en- 
fiformia, nervo eminente, bafi equitantia, 
cauiina breviora, alterna, bafi vaginantia. 
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, ereifius, e geniculo ad 
geniculum alterne inclinatus, teres, lasvis, 
fpongiofus. 
FLORES eredi, fpeclofi, flavi. 
PEDUNCULI axillares, femiteretes, glabri. 
CALYX : Spatha biflora aut triflora, bivalvis, trival- 
vis aut quadrivalvis fecundum numerum 
florum. 
COROLLA fexpartita ; Petala tria exteriora ampla, 
ovato rotundata, reflexa. Irneis rubris feu e.x 
rubro-fufeis ad bafin lamina pida, ad bafin 
unguis biforaminofa, tria interiora primo 
ereda, cito inflexa, ftigmate breviora, oblonga, 
bafi anguftata, intus cava. fig. i. 2. 
STAMINA; Filamenta tria, fivbukta, co mp refla ? 
Anthera: oblongs, Iute$, marginibus pur- 
purnfcentibus, ab incumbente ftigmate in 
arcum depreflse, biloculares, locule lineares, 
inferne dehifcentes, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen inferum, oblongum, trigonum, 
angulis obtiifis fulcatis; Stylus tenuis, 
germine brevior; Stigma maximum, tripar- 
titum, flavum, laciniis oblongis, fuperne 
carinatis, Inferne concavis apice trifidis, ve- 
nofis, ferrulatis, fegmento medio breviffimo, 
infero. 7^. 4. 5. 6. 
PERICARPIUM ; Capsula oblonga, angulata, tri- 
locularis, trivalvis fig, 7. 
STAMINA plurima, magna, fiavefeentia, utrinque 
comprefla.7^. 8. 
M^NY of the plants of this tribe recommend themfelves to our notice by the beauty and delicacy of their 
bloflbms, fomc by their medicinal, and others by their oeconomical ufes ; the prefent plant mav perhaps put 
in its claim on each of thefe accounts, and though its flowers may not poliefs the fragrance fo grateful in the 
Iris perfica., the magnificence which aftonlfhes in the Jvfiana, or the variety of colours which glow in the veificolor, 
yet thofe who have examined its ftrudure muft allow it to be at once beautiful, delicate, and lingularlv curi- 
ous; the Stigma in particular deferves to be noticed by the Student, being in form and fubftance more like the 
petals than the part it really is. 
As to its medicinal powers the root is without fmell, vifcid, and of a fweetifh tafte, its itifufion and 
decodion at firft very fweet, then highly aftringent, prefentiy producing a fenfe of heat in the throat, which 
continued with me for more than twelve hours. Ruity Mat Med. 
An infufion of it became black on the addition of Vitriol of iron. id. 
In diving it lofes much of its acrimony, id. 
Cut into the form of peafe it is ufeful to deftroy the proud flefh in iflues, and promotes their difeharge id. 
The juice has been ufed to promote fneezing, but being highly acrimonious of itfelf, a few drops of it mix’d 
with milk has been ufed to produce that effed in the tooth-ach. id. 
The juice of the root has allb been recommended to be applied to creeping ulcers, and being confidcred as 
poflc-lfing confiderable aftringent powers, it has been adminftered in fluxes but very iiijudicioufiy according to 
fome modern experiments made with it, {vidEdinburg Med. EJfays) by which it w’as found that eighty drops of 
this juice repeated every hour or two, proved an excellent purgative where Jalap and Gamboge had in vain been 
exhibited. On the whole it appears to be a violent medicine, and to be ufed with great caution. The only 
account we have of its oeconomical ufes is, that an infufion or decodion of it like that of galls and other vege- 
table aftiingents is capable with the addition of iron of being converted into ink, or of dying black, to both of 
which purpofes it has long been applied in Scotland and the adjacent Ifles. Sibbald. Lighijoot. 
It is a veiy common plant in marlhy meadows, by the fides of rivers, ponds, &c. and llowers in the begin- 
ning of July. 
Planted in the garden where the foil is moift, it encreafes exceedingly both by root and feeds. 
tm 
