IRIS FLORENTINA. FLORENTINE IRIS. 
Class III. TRIANDRIA. Order I. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order, IRIDE/E. THE CORN FLAG TRIBE. 
The Iris is so called from the brilliancy of its colours and the graceful curve of its petals, emulating the 
arch of Iris or the rainbow. This species of Iris is a perennial plant, a native of Carniola, and some parts 
of the south of Europe ; but it is common in our gardens, and was cultivated by Gerarde, towards the end 
of the sixteenth century. The flowers are very handsome, and appear early in May. 
The Florentine Iris has a thick tuberous creeping stem, usually called its root ; externally it is brown, 
yellowish white within, and sends out numerous fibres, which are the true roots, from the under part ; 
When these are pared off, the stem appears full of round spots. The leaves are radical, sword-shaped, 
sheathing, of a glaucous green colour, pointed, and somewhat curved inwards at the apex. The stems are 
erect, simple, cylindrical, about two feet high, and bearing each two or three flowers. The flowers, which 
terminate the stalks, are large, white, erect, and spring from a ventricose sheath, or calyx, of two leafy 
valves. The perianth is divided into six segments, the three outer ones being the largest, reflexed and 
spreading ; they are thick and fleshy near the base, and bearded within, with white hairs, yellow at the tip; 
the border is rounded, emarginate, and an inch wide, white and striated near the flexure; the inner erect 
segments are narrow, bluish white, bent inwards, and have thick greenish claws. The stamens are three, 
lying on the larger petals, and crowned with long pale yellow anthers; the germen is oblong, obtusely trian- 
gular, and placed below the corolla ; the style is compound, short, and thread-shaped, and separates into 
three equal dilated segments, of the texture of petals, which arch over the stamens. These are the stig- 
mata. The capsule is three-celled, and contains many flat brown seeds. 
Qualities. — The recent root is acrid, and excites, when chewed, a pungent heat in the mouth, which 
continues several hours ; but on being dried, this acrimony is lost, and the taste becomes somewhat bitter. 
That which grows in England has but little odour ; but the foreign roots, which are brought from Italy, 
possess a most agreeable fragrance, resembling violets. 
Medical Properties and Uses. — Several species of Iris, amongst which is the I. florentitiu, 
possess hydragogue purgative properties, and the expressed juice of the latter, in drachm doses, was for- 
merly administered for the cure of dropsy. In its dried state, it also entered into the composition of the 
Trochisci Jlmyli, in consequence of expectorant virtues being attributed to it ; and on the Continent it is 
still used as an errhine, combined with other substances. 
Orris powder is frequently used by females and others, in large quantities, as a perfume, and serious 
consequences are said to have been produced by this practice. Dr. Aumont, in a paper read before the 
Royal Academy of Sciences in France, relates a case in which two young girls became paralytic and insen- 
sible, from having put a considerable quantity of Orris root into their hair on going to bed. When they 
awoke in the morning, they were seized with violent headach and giddiness, with pain and heat in the 
throat, similar to what is produced by cantharides, and the younger of the two was completely paralytic 
on the right side for more than five hours. 
With us, it is now merely employed to cover odours in the mouth, or to form a pleasant basis for 
tooth-powder. As a dentrifice it is commonly conjoined with burnt hartshorn, charcoal, Armenian bole, 
dragon’s blood, and other substances, as in the following formula: — 
R. Pulv. Cornu Cervi usti §ij. 
Pulv. Rad. Iridis Florent. 3ij. 
Pulv. Gummi resinae Sanguis Draconis dicti 3j. 
Olei Rosee gtt. ij. Misce ut fiat pulvis quo dentes fricentur. 
