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IRIS

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Originally appearing in Volume V14, Page 795 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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IRIS , in See also:

botany. The iris See also:flower belongs to the natural See also:order See also:Iridaceae of the class Monocotyledons, which is characterized by a petaloid six-parted perianth, an inferior ovary and only three stamens (the See also:outer See also:series), being thus distinguished from the Amaryllidaceae See also:family, which has six stamens. They are handsome showy-flowered See also:plants, the See also:Greek name having been applied on See also:account of the hues of the See also:flowers. The genus contains about 170 See also:species widely distributed throughout the See also:north temperate See also:zone. Two of the species are See also:British. I. Pseudacorus, the yellow See also:flag or iris, is See also:common in See also:Britain on See also:river-See also:banks, and in marshes and ditches. It is called the " See also:water-flag " or " See also:bastard floure de-luce " by See also:Gerard, who remarks that " although it be a water plant of nature, yet being planted in gardens it prospereth well." Its flowers appear in See also:June and See also:July, and are of a See also:golden-yellow See also:colour. The leaves are from 2 to 4 ft. See also:long, and See also:half an See also:inch to an inch broad. Towards the latter See also:part of the See also:year they are eaten by See also:cattle. The seeds are numerous and See also:pale-See also:brown; they have been recommended when roasted as a substitute for See also:coffee, of which, however, they have not the properties. The astringent rhizome has diuretic, purgative and emetic properties, and may, it is said, be used for See also:dyeing See also:black, and in the See also:place of See also:galls for See also:ink-making.

The other British species, I. foetidissima, the fetid iris, gladdon or roast-See also:

beef plant, the Xyris or stinking gladdon of Gerard, is a native of See also:England See also:south of See also:Durham. and also of See also:Ireland, See also:southern See also:Europe and North See also:Africa. Its flowers are usually of a dull, leaden-See also:blue colour; the capsules, which remain attached to the plant throughout the See also:winter, are 2 to 3 in. long; and the seeds See also:scarlet. When bruised this species emits a See also:peculiar and disagreeable odour. Iris florentina, with See also:white or pale-blue flowers, is a native of the south of Europe, and is the source of the See also:violet-scented orris See also:root used in See also:perfumery. Iris versicolor, or blue flag, is indigenous to North See also:America, and yields " iridin," a powerful hepatic stimulant. Iris germanica of central Europe, " the most common See also:purple Fleur de Luce" of See also:Ray, is the large common blue iris of gardens, the bearded iris or fleur de luce and probably the Illyrian iris of the ancients. From the flowers of Iris florentina a pigment—the " verdelis," " vert d'iris," or iris-greefi,.,. formerly used by See also:miniature painters—was prepared by maceration, the fluid being See also:left to putrefy, when See also:chalk or See also:alum was added. The See also:garden plants known as the See also:Spanish iris and the See also:English iris are both of Spanish origin, and have very showy flowers. Along with some other species, as I. reticulata and I. persica, both of which are fragrant, they See also:form See also:great favourites with florists. All these just mentioned differ from those formerly named in the nature of the underground See also:stem, which forms a bulb and not a strict creeping rhizome as in I. Pseudacorus, germanica, florentina, &c. Some botanists See also:separate these bulbous irises from the genus leis, and place them apart in the genus Xiphium, the Spanish iris, including about 30 species, all from the Mediterranean region and the See also:East.

The iris flower is of See also:

special See also:interest as an example of the relation between the shape of the flower and the position of the See also:pollen-receiving and stigmatic surfaces on the one See also:hand and the visits of See also:insects on the other. The large outer petals form a landing-See also:stage for a flying See also:insect which in FIG. g.—See also:Diagram probing the perianth- of Trimerous Symtube for See also:honey will metrsicalwita two rorolf first come in contact Ifi, of perianth, three e with the stigmatic stamens in one whorl See also:surface which is See also:borne and an ovary formed on the outer See also:face of of three carpels. The a shelf-like transverse th dots indicate the se e positiono of an See also:projection on the inner whorl of FIG. I.—Gynoecium under See also:side of the stamens which is of Iris,consisting of an petaloid See also:style-See also:arm. See also:present in the allied inferior ovary o, and a The anther, which families Amacea.- style, with three peta- daceae and See also:Liliaceae told segments s,bearing opens towards the but absent in Irid- stigrgas st. outside, is sheltered aceae. beneath the over-arching style arm below the stigma, so that the insect comes in contact with its pollen-covered surface only after passing the stigma, while in backing out of the flower it will come in contact only with the non-receptive See also:lower face of the stigma. Thus an insect bearing pollen from one flower will in entering a second See also:deposit the pollen on the stigma, while in backing out of a flower the pollen which it bears will not be rubbed off on the stigma of the same flower. The hardier bulbous irises, including the Spanish iris (I. Xiphium) and the English iris (I. xi phioides, so called, which is also of Spanish origin), require to be planted in thoroughly drained beds in very See also:light open See also:soil, moderately enriched, and should have a rather sheltered position. Both these present a long series of beautiful varieties of the most diverse See also:colours, flowering in May, June and July, the smaller Spanish iris being the earlier of the two. There are many other smaller species of bulbous iris. Being liable to perish from excess of moisture, they should have a well-drained See also:bed of See also:good but porous soil made up for them, in some sunny spot, and in winter should be protected by a 6-in. covering of half-decayed leaves or fresh coco-fibre refuse. To this set belong I. persica, reticulata, fclifolia, Hislrio, juncea, Danfordiae Rosenbachiatea and others which flower as See also:early as See also:February and See also:March.

The flag irises are for the most part of the easiest culture; they grow in any good See also:

free garden soil, the smaller and more delicate species only needing the aid of turfy ingredients, either peaty or loamy, to keep it light and open in texture. The earliest to See also:bloom are the dwarfp forms of Iris pumila, which blossom during March, See also:April and May; and during the latter See also:month and the following one most of the larger growing species, such as I. germanica, florentina, pallida, variegata, amoena, flavescens, sambucina, neglecta, ruthenica, &c., produce their gorgeous flowers. Of many of the foregoing there are, besides the typical form, a considerable number of named garden varieties. Iris unguicularis (or stylosa) is a remarkable winter flowering species from See also:Algeria, with See also:sky-blue flowers blotched with yellow, produced at irregular intervals from See also:November to March, the bleakest See also:period of the year. The beautiful See also:Japanese Iris Kaempferi (or I. laevigata) is of comparatively See also:modern introduction, and though of a distinct type is equally beautiful with the better-known species. The outer segments are rather spreading than deflexed, forming an almost circular flower, which becomes quite so in some of the very remarkable duplex varieties, in which six of these broad segments are produced instead of three. Of this too there are numberless varieties cultivated under names. They require a sandy See also:peat soil on a cool moist subsoil. What are known as Oncocyclus, or See also:cushion irises, constitute a magnificent See also:group of plants remarkable for their large, showy and beautifully marked flowers. Compared with other irises the " cushion " varieties are scantily furnished with narrow sickle-shaped leaves and the blossoms are usually borne singly on the stalks. The best-known kinds are atrofusca, Barnumae, Bismarckiana, Gatesi, Heylandiana, iberica, Lorteti, Haynei, See also:lupine, Marine, meda, paradoxa, See also:sari, sofarana and susiana—the last-named being popularly called the " See also:mourning " iris owing to the dark silveryappearance of its huge flowers. All these cushion irises are somewhat fastidious growers, and to be successful with them they must be planted rather shallow in very gritty well-drained soil.

They should not be disturbed in the autumn, and after the leaves have withered the roots should be protected from heavy rains until growth starts again naturally. A closely allied group to the cushion irises are those known as Regelia, of which Korolkowi, Leichtlini and vaga are the best known. Some magnificent hybrids have been raised between these two See also:

groups, and a hardier and more easily grown See also:race of garden irises has been produced under the name of Regelio-Cyclus. They are best planted in See also:September or See also:October in warm sunny positions, the rhizomes being lifted the following July after the leaves have withered.

End of Article: IRIS

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