374 1 R 
The frefh root is a powerful cathartic, and for this pur- 
pofe its juice has been employed in the dofe of a dram and 
upwards in dropfies. It is now chiefly u'fed in its dried ftate, 
and ranked as a pefloral, or expeilorant. We have how¬ 
ever no evidence of its expectorant powers, and therefore 
muil confider it as valuable only for the pleafantnefs of 
its perfume, and the flavour which it communicates. 
6. Iris biflora, Jr twice-flowering iris: bearded; leaves 
enfiform, fmooth; thorter than the fubtriflorous fcape. 
Scape Ample, ftriated, longer than the leaves, a fpan in 
height, fuftaining two or three flowers, fometimes four. 
Native of Portugal and Spain. Cultivated in 1596 by 
Gerarde. It flowers in April and May; and again in au¬ 
tumn, whence it had the name of 'bifora, but improperly 
becaufe it tends to miflead; it ihould have been bijlorens, 
or more claflically bifera. 
7. Iris aphylla, or leaflefs iris: bearded; leaves'enfi¬ 
form, fmooth ; equalling the many-flowered almoft-naked 
fcape. This has three or four large bright-purple flow¬ 
ers, which Hand above each other, and have purpliih 
fheaths; the three bending petals, or falls, are ftriped 
■with white from the bafe to the end of the beard. It 
flowers at the end of May, and the feeds ripen at the be¬ 
ginning of Auguft. Its native place of growth is un¬ 
known. 
8. Iris variegata, or variegated iris : bearded ; leaves 
enfiform, fmooth; equalling the many-flowered fcape. 
Scape ftriated, fcarcely longer than the leaves, a foot or 
more in height. Flowers at the top of the fcape divided, 
alternate, coming out fucceflively, handfome, yellow net¬ 
ted with black. The upper part of the Item is naked, 
and divides into three branches, each of which has two or 
three flowers one above another; the three upright petals 
or ftandards are yellow, and the bending petals or falls 
are variegated with purple ftripes. It flowers in June, 
but is rarely fucceeded by feeds in England. Native of 
Hungary. Cultivated by Gerarde in 1597. He calls it 
variable jlozoer-de-luce. 
9 . Iris Germanica, or German iris : bearded; leaves en¬ 
fiform, fmooth ; fickle-fliaped, fhorter than the many- 
flowered fcape. Scape divided at top, larger than the 
leaves. Leaves reflex-falcated, nerved, an inch wide. 
Flowers blue, with the fmaller petals quite entire. This 
has the largeft leaves of'any of the fpecies; they are of a 
greyi/h colour-, and fpread wide, embracing each other at 
their bafe, where they are purpiifh. The ltalks rife near 
four feet high, and divide into feveral branches, each fup- 
porting three or four flowers, which are covered with a 
thin (heath; the three bending petals, or falls, are of a 
faint purple inclining to blue, with purple veins running 
lengtinvile; the beard is yellow, and the three eredl petals 
or ftandards are of a bright blue, with fome faint-purple 
fcripes; the flowers have an agreeable fcent. Native of 
Germany, Swiiferland, and Dauphine. Cultivated in 1596 
by Gerarde. It flowers in May and June. The frefh 
.roots of this fpecies area ftrong irritating cathartic; in 
this intention their frefn juice may be given in hydropic 
cafes in dofes of one or two drams to three or four ounces, 
diluted largely with watery or vinous liquors, to prevent 
its inflaming the throat. The remarkable differences in 
the dofe, as direifed by different practitioners, appear to 
a rife from this circumftance; viz. that fome have em¬ 
ployed the juice in its recent turbid ftate, loaded with the 
acrimonious cathartic matter of the root, while others 
ufed fuch as had been depurated by fettling, and which 
had depofited its more aifive and acrimonious parts. The 
root of flower-de-luce fufpended in wine or beer, keeps 
the latter from g'rowing dale, and communicates a plea- 
fan t -tafte and fmell to the former. The juice is alfo 
lometimes made ufe of as a cofrnetic, and for removing 
freckles. A moft beautiful paint or colour is prepared 
from the flowers'in the following manner: viz. The flow¬ 
ers are collected before they are fully expanded, and are 
to be bruifed in a ftone-mortar with a wooden peftle; 
then put into a glafs, and placed for fome days in a cel- 
I s. 
lar or other moift place; after thejpace of about a fort¬ 
night, the mafs, which is now become liquid, is to be let 
over the fire in a glafs pot, till about a third part is con- 
fumed ; then fome roche alum is to be put into it, more 
or lefs, till it becomes clear, and acquires its fine blue co¬ 
lour; after which it is poured into (hells for ufe, as a wa¬ 
ter-colour. 
10. Iris lurida, or dingy iris: bearded; ftem higher 
than the leaves, and many-flowered ; outer petals revolute, 
inner from ere 61 ' bent in, fomewhat waved, and (lightly 
emarginate. Outer petals bent back, very dark purple, 
with yellowifli (tains below the middle; beard yellow. It 
may perhaps be no more than a variety of I. fambucina, 
but it is totally void of fmell. Native of the South of 
Europe. It flowers in April. 
11. Iris fambucina, or elder-fcented iris: bearded; 
leaves enfiform, fmooth, eredt; fhorter than the many- 
flowered fcape; petals bent down, flat. Scape divided at 
top, longer than the leaves, two or three feet high. 
Leaves inflex-falcated at top, ftriated, the upper ones gra¬ 
dually (liorter. It refembles I. Germanica, No. 9. from 
which, however, it differs in having the larger petals of a 
deeper violet colour, and fub-emarginate; the fmaller pe¬ 
tals emarginate, and of a deeper blue colour; the ftigmas- 
acute and ferrate, with a bluifli keel. It derives the tri¬ 
vial name from the fmell of the flowers, which is very- 
like that of elder in bloom. It flowers at the end of 
May, and in June; is a native of the South of Europe; 
and was cultivated in 1748 by Mr. Miller. Mr. Curtis 
takes it to be the fame with the Iris camerarii of Parkinfon, 
(Parad. 181.) and, if fo, it was probably known to our 
gardens in his time. 
12. Iris fqualens, or brown-flowered iris: bearded; 
leaves enfiform, fmooth, ereft, fhorter than the many- 
flowered fcape ; petals bent down and folded back. The 
roots of this are very thick, flefhv, and divided into joint?, 
fpreading juft under the furface of the ground ; they are 
of a browniflt colour on their outfide, but white within ; 
the leaves arife in clufters - , embracing each other at their 
bafe, but fpread afunder upwards in form of wings; they 
are a foot and a half long, and two inches broad, having 
(harp edges, ending in points like fwords; the (talks be¬ 
tween thefe, which are a little longer than the leaves, 
having at each joint one leaf without a footftalk; thefe 
dimini(h in fize upwards ; the (talks divide into three 
branches, each of which produces two or three flowers 
one above another at diftances, each inclofed in a (heath ; 
they have three large violet-coloured petals which turn 
backward, and are called falls ; thefe have beards near an 
inch long on their midrib towards their bafe, and have a 
fliort arched petal which covers the beard, with three 
broad erefl petals of the fame colour, called fandards ; 
the ltamina lie upon the refle^xed petals. Under each 
flower is fituated an oblong germ, which turns to a large 
three-cornered capfule, filled with large compreffed feeds. 
This flowers in June, and the feeds ripen in August. 
There is a variety of this with blue ftandards and purple 
falls, and one with pale purple ftandards, another with 
white, and a third with a fmaller flower ; but thefe are ac¬ 
cidental varieties which have come from feeds. Native of 
the South of Europe. Cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1768. 
13. Iris comprefl'a, or flat-ftalked iris: bearded; leaves 
enfiform, fmooth : fcape panicled, compreffed. Stem 
frutefcent, compreffed, fmooth, branching dichotomoufly, 
jointed, decumbent, lomewhat upright at top, braided, a 
foot high and more; branches alternate, elongated, like 
the fcape, one-flowered. Native of Africa, in the interior 
country of the Hottentots. 
14. Iris critfata, or crefted iris: bearded; beard crefted 5 
ftem moftly one-flowered, the length of the leaves; germs 
three-cornered ; petals almoft equal. Root tuberous,, 
creeping. Steins feveral, (hort, inclining upwards, com¬ 
preffed, leafy. Leaves fcarcely fix inches'long, (harpi(h A 
a little eurved like a fickle at the tips, entire, with a pale 
membranaceous margin. Flower generally foiitarv, a lit- 
3 tie 
