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''Iris'' is a
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of 310 accepted
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
with showy
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...
s. As well as being the scientific name, ''iris'' is also widely used as a common name for all ''Iris'' species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the
subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between ...
'' Scorpiris'' are widely known as ' junos', particularly in
horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
. It is a popular garden flower. The often-segregated,
monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
genera ''
Belamcanda ''Iris domestica'', commonly known as leopard lily, blackberry lily, and leopard flower, is an ornamental plant in the family Iridaceae. In 2005, based on molecular DNA sequence evidence, ''Belamcanda chinensis'', the sole species in the genus '' ...
'' (blackberry lily, ''I. domestica''), ''
Hermodactylus ''Iris tuberosa'' (formerly ''Hermodactylus tuberosus'') is a species of tuberous flowering plant of the genus ''Iris'', with the common names snake's-head, snake's-head iris, widow iris, black iris, or velvet flower-de-luce. Distribution A na ...
'' (snake's head iris, ''I. tuberosa''), and ''Pardanthopsis'' (vesper iris, '' I. dichotoma'') are currently included in ''Iris''. Three Iris varieties are used in the
Iris flower data set The ''Iris'' flower data set or Fisher's ''Iris'' data set is a multivariate data set used and made famous by the British statistician and biologist Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper ''The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems'' as a ...
outlined by
Ronald Fisher Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was a British polymath who was active as a mathematician, statistician, biologist, geneticist, and academic. For his work in statistics, he has been described as "a genius who ...
in his 1936 paper ''The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems'' as an example of
linear discriminant analysis Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), normal discriminant analysis (NDA), or discriminant function analysis is a generalization of Fisher's linear discriminant, a method used in statistics and other fields, to find a linear combination of features ...
.


Description

Irises are
perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
s, growing from creeping
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...
s (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier climates, from
bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs dur ...
s (bulbous irises). They have long, erect flowering stems which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species also have 2–10 narrow leaves growing from the bulb.


Flower

The
inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are forme ...
s are in the shape of a fan and contain one or more symmetrical six-lobed
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...
s. These grow on a pedicel or peduncle. The three
sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...
s, which are usually spreading or droop downwards, are referred to as "falls". They expand from their narrow base (the "claw" or "haft"), into a broader expanded portion ("limb" or "blade"Donald Wyman ) and can be adorned with veining, lines or dots. In the centre of the blade, some of the rhizomatous irises have a "beard", a row of fuzzy hairs at the base of each falls petal which gives pollinators a landing place and guides them to the nectar. The three, sometimes reduced,
petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...
s stand upright, partly behind the sepal bases. They are called "standards". Some smaller iris species have all six lobes pointing straight outwards, but generally limb and standards differ markedly in appearance. They are united at their base into a floral tube that lies above the
ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...
(known as an epigynous or
inferior ovary In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule(s) and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the ...
). The three styles divide towards the apex into petaloid branches; this is significant in
pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an Stamen, anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by Anemophily, wind. Pollinating agents can ...
. The iris flower is of interest as an example of the relation between flowering plants and pollinating insects. The shape of the flower and the position of the pollen-receiving and stigmatic surfaces on the outer petals form a landing-stage for a flying insect, which in probing for nectar, will first come into contact with the
perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...
, then with the three stigmatic
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the fila ...
s in one whorled surface which is borne on an ovary formed of three
carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) '' pistils' ...
. The shelf-like transverse projection on the inner whorled underside of the stamens is beneath the overarching style arm below the stigma, so that the insect comes in contact with its pollen-covered surface only after passing the stigma; in backing out of the flower it will come in contact only with the non-receptive lower face of the stigma. Thus, an insect bearing pollen from one flower will, in entering a second, deposit the pollen on the stigma; in backing out of a flower, the pollen which it bears will not be rubbed off on the stigma of the same flower. The iris fruit is a capsule which opens up in three parts to reveal the numerous seeds within. In some species, the seeds bear an
aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...
. Such as ''
Iris stolonifera ''Iris stolonifera'' is a plant species in the genus ''Iris''; it is also in the subgenus ''Iris'', and in the section ''Regelia''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of Turkestan, between Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. I ...
'' which as light brown seeds that have thick white aril (or coatings).


Taxonomy

It takes its name from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
word ''îris'' "
rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
", which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow,
Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. ''Iris'' is the largest
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Iridaceae Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). It inclu ...
with up to 300 species – many of them natural hybrids.
Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
lists 310 accepted species from this genus as of 2022. Modern classifications, starting with Dykes (1913), have subdivided them. Dykes referred to the major subgroupings as
sections Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...
. Subsequent authors such as Lawrence (1953) and Rodionenko (1987) have generally called them
subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between ...
, while essentially retaining Dykes' groupings, using six subgenera further divided into twelve sections. Of these, section ''Limneris'' (subgenus ''Limneris'') was further divided into sixteen
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...
. Like some older sources, Rodionenko moved some of the bulbous subgenera (''Xiphium'', ''Scorpiris'' and ''Hermodactyloides'') into separate genera (''Xiphion'', '' Juno'' and ''Iridodictyum'' respectively), but this has not been accepted by later writers such as
Mathew Mathew is a masculine given name and a variant of Matthew. It is also used as a surname. As a given name Notable people with the given name include: * Mat Erpelding (born 1975), American politician * Mat Kearney (born 1978), American singer- ...
(1989), although the latter kept ''Hermodactylus'' as a distinct genus, to include ''Hermodactylus tuberosus'', now returned to ''Hermodactyloides'' as ''
Iris tuberosa ''Iris tuberosa'' (formerly ''Hermodactylus tuberosus'') is a species of tuberous flowering plant of the genus ''Iris'', with the common names snake's-head, snake's-head iris, widow iris, black iris, or velvet flower-de-luce. Distribution A na ...
''. Rodionenko also reduced the number of sections in subgenus Iris, from six to two, depending on the presence (''Hexapogon'') or absence (''Iris'') of
arils An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...
on the
seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...
s, referred to as ''arilate'' or ''nonarilate''. Taylor (1976) provides arguments for not including all arilate species in ''Hexapogon''. In general, modern classifications usually recognise six subgenera, of which five are restricted to the
Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by thei ...
; the sixth (subgenus ''Limniris'') has a
Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
distribution. The two largest subgenera are further divided into sections. The Iris subgenus has been divided into six sections; bearded irises (or pogon irises), Psammiris, Oncocyclus, Regelia, Hexapogon and Pseudoregelia.
Iris subg. Limniris Subgenus ''Limniris'' is one subgenus of beardless irises, which don't have hair on their drooping sepals, also called their ''fall''s. 'Limniris' is derived from the Latin for marsh or living-in-lakes iris, or pond iris. This refers to the fact ...
has been divided into 2 sections; Lophiris (or 'Evansias' or crested iris) and Limniris which was further divided into 16
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...
.


Evolution

The concept of
introgressive hybridization Introgression, also known as introgressive hybridization, in genetics is the transfer of genetic material from one species into the gene pool of another by the repeated backcrossing of an interspecific hybrid with one of its parent species. Introg ...
(or "introgression") was first invented to describe the pattern of interspecific
hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...
followed by
backcrossing Backcrossing is a crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual genetically similar to its parent, to achieve offspring with a genetic identity closer to that of the parent. It is used in horticulture, animal breeding, and produ ...
to the parentals that is common in this genus.


Subgeneric division


Subgenera

* ''
Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
'' (Bearded rhizomatous irises) * '' Limniris'' (Beardless rhizomatous irises) * '' Xiphium'' (Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus ''Xiphion'') * '' Nepalensis'' (Bulbous irises: Formerly genus ''Junopsis'') * '' Scorpiris'' (Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus '' Juno'') * ''
Hermodactyloides The subgenus ''Hermodactyloides'' of Iris includes all reticulate-bulbed bulbous irises. It was formerly named as a genus, ''Iridodictyum'' by Rodionenko in 1961. but it was not widely accepted and most botanists preferred 'Hermodactyloides'. ...
'' (Reticulate-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus ''Iridodictyum'')


Sections, series and species


Distribution and habitat

Nearly all species are found in
temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...
Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
zones, from
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
to
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and across North America. Although diverse in ecology, ''Iris'' is predominantly found in dry,
semi-desert A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...
, or colder rocky mountainous areas. Other habitats include grassy slopes, meadowlands, woodland, bogs and riverbanks. Some irises like ''
Iris setosa Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
'' can tolerate damp (bogs) or dry sites (meadows), and ''
Iris foetidissima ''Iris foetidissima'', the stinking iris,Richard Fitter, Alastair Fitter and Marjorie Blamey gladdon, Gladwin iris, roast-beef plant, or stinking gladwin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, found in open woodland, hedgebank ...
'' can be found in woodland, hedge banks and scrub areas.


Cultivation

Iris is extensively grown as
ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
in home and
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
s.
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is a nonprofit, living museum specializing in iris flowers, located at 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. The gardens are situated on 6.5 acres. Adjacent t ...
in New Jersey, for example, is a living iris museum with over 10,000 plants, while in Europe the most famous iris garden is arguably the
Giardino dell'Iris Giardino dell'Iris is a botanical garden specializing in the cultivation of iris (plant), iris flowers, symbol of Florence since 1251. It is located on the corner of Viale dei Colli and Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, and open daily wit ...
in Florence (Italy) which every year hosts a well attended iris breeders' competition. Irises, especially the multitude of bearded types, feature regularly in shows such as the
Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the ''Great Spring Show'',Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural ...
. For garden cultivation, iris classification differs from taxonomic classification. Garden iris are classed as either
bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs dur ...
iris or
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...
iris (called rhizomatous) with a number of further subdivisions. Due to a wide variety of geographic origins, and thus great genetic diversity, cultivation needs of iris vary greatly. Iris grow well in most any garden soil types providing they are well-drained. The earliest to bloom are species like '' I. junonia'' and '' I. reichenbachii'', which flower as early as February and March in the Northern Hemisphere, followed by the dwarf forms of '' I. pumila'', and then by most of the tall bearded varieties, such as the German iris and its
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''florentina'', sweet iris, Hungarian iris, lemon-yellow iris ('' I. flavescens''), ''
Iris sambucina ''Iris sambucina'', the elder scented iris, is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from southern and central Europe (Germany, GB and Ireland, Italy, the Balkans, Croatia), ...
'', and their natural and horticultural hybrids such as those described under names like ''I. neglecta'' or ''I. squalens'' and best united under '' I. × lurida''. The iris is promoted in the United Kingdom by the British Iris Society. The national collection of Arthur Bliss Irises is held in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...
.


Bearded rhizome iris

Bearded iris are classified as dwarf, tall, or aril. In Europe, the most commonly found garden iris is a hybrid iris (falsely called German iris, ''I. germanica'' which is sterile) and its numerous
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
s. Various wild forms (including ''
Iris aphylla ''Iris aphylla'' (also known as leafless iris, table iris or stool iris) is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris'', and in the section ''Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Asia to Europe. It is found in Az ...
'') and naturally occurring hybrids of the Sweet iris (''I. pallida'') and the Hungarian iris ('' I. variegata'') form the basis of almost all modern hybrid bearded irises. Median forms of bearded iris (intermediate bearded, or IB; miniature tall bearded, or MTB; etc.) are derived from crosses between tall and dwarf species like ''
Iris pumila ''Iris pumila'', sometimes known as pygmy iris or dwarf iris, probably originated as a natural hybrid between '' Iris pseudopumila'' Boissier & Heldreich and '' I. attica'' Tineo. It ranges from Austria through eastern Europe and the Balkans, in ...
''. The "beard", short hairs arranged to look like a long furry caterpillar, is found toward the back of the lower petals and its purpose is to guide pollinating insects toward the reproductive parts of the plant. Bearded irises have been cultivated to have much larger blooms than historically; the flowers are now twice the size of those a hundred years ago. Ruffles were introduced in the 1960s to help stabilize the larger petals. Bearded iris are easy to cultivate and propagate and have become very popular in gardens. A small selection is usually held by garden centres at appropriate times during the season, but there are thousands of
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
s available from specialist suppliers (more than 30,000 cultivars of tall bearded iris). They are best planted as bare root plants in late summer, in a sunny open position with the rhizome visible on the surface of the soil and facing the sun. They should be divided in summer every two or three years, when the clumps become congested. A truly red bearded iris, like a truly
blue rose A blue rose is a flower of the genus ''Rosa'' (family Rosaceae) that presents blue-to-violet pigmentation instead of the more common red, white, or yellow. Blue roses are often used to symbolize mystery or attaining the impossible. However, beca ...
, remains an unattained goal despite frequent hybridizing and selection. There are species and selections, most notably based on the beardless rhizomatous Copper iris ('' I. fulva''), which have a relatively pure red color. However, getting this color into a modern bearded iris breed has proven very difficult, and thus, the vast majority of irises are in the purple and blue range of the color spectrum, with yellow, pink, orange and white breeds also available. Irises like many related
genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
lack red-based hues because their
anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical com ...
s are delphinidin-derived.
Pelargonidin Pelargonidin is an anthocyanidin, a type of plant pigment producing a characteristic orange color used in food and industrial dyes. Natural occurrences Presence in flowers Pelargonidin can be found in red geraniums (Geraniaceae). It is the ...
-derived anthocyanins would lend the sought-after blue-based colors but these genera are metabolically disinclined to produce pelargonidin. Dihydroflavonol 4-reductases in ''Iris''s relatives selectively do not catalyse
dihydrokaempferol Aromadendrin (aromodendrin or dihydrokaempferol) is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. It can be found in the wood of ''Pinus sibirica''. Metabolism The enzyme dihydrokaempferol 4-reductase uses ''cis''-3,4-leucopelargonidin and NADP+ to prod ...
to
leucopelargonidin Leucopelargonidin is a colorless chemical compound related to leucoanthocyanins. It can be found in ''Albizia lebbeck'' (East Indian walnut), in the fruit of ''Anacardium occidentale'' (Cashew), in the fruit of ''Areca catechu'' (Areca nut), in th ...
, the precursor, and this is probably the case here as well. The other metabolic difficulty is the presence of
flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase In enzymology, a flavonoid 3'-monooxygenase (, was wrongly classified as in the past) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction :a flavonoid + NADPH + H+ + O2 \rightleftharpoons a 3'-hydroxyflavonoid + NADP+ + H2O The 4 substrates of t ...
, which in ''
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the cent ...
'' inhibits pelargonidin synthesis. The bias in irises towards delphinidin-anthocyanins is so pronounced that they have served as the
gene donor Gene delivery is the process of introducing foreign genetic material, such as DNA or RNA, into host cells. Gene delivery must reach the genome of the host cell to induce gene expression. Successful gene delivery requires the foreign gene delive ...
s for
transgenic A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques, from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the ...
attempts at the aforementioned blue roses. Although these have been technically successful over 99% of their anthocyanins are blue their growth is crippled and they have never been commercializable.


AGM cultivars

The following is a selection of bearded irises that have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
's
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
: *'Alizes' (tall bearded, blue & white) *'Bumblebee Deelite' (miniature tall bearded, yellow/purple) *'Early Light' (tall bearded, pale yellow) *'Jane Phillips' (tall bearded, pale blue) *'Langport Wren' (intermediate bearded, maroon) *'Maui Moonlight' (intermediate bearded, pale yellow) *'Orinoco Flow' (border bearded, white/violet) *'Raspberry Blush' (intermediate bearded, pink) *'Sarah Taylor' (dwarf bearded, pale yellow) *'Thornbird' (tall bearded, pale yellow) *'Titan's Glory' (tall bearded, deep blue)


Bearded iris ''Oncocyclus'' section

This section contains the cushion irises or royal irises, a group of plants noted for their large, strongly marked flowers. Between 30 and 60 species are classified in this section, depending on the authority. Species of section ''Oncocyclus'' are generally strict endemics, typically occurring in a small number of scattered, disjunct populations, whose geographical isolation is enhanced by their pollination strategy and myrmecochory seed dispersal. Morphological divergence between populations usually follows a cline reflecting local adaptation to environment conditions; furthermore, this largely overlaps divergence between species, making it difficult to identify discrete species boundaries in these irises. Compared with other irises the cushion varieties are scantily furnished with narrow sickle-shaped leaves and the flowers are usually borne singly on the stalks; they are often very dark and in some almost blackish. The 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.


Bearded iris ''Regelia'' section

This section, closely allied to the cushion irises, includes several garden hybrids with species in section ''Oncocyclus'', known as ''Regelio-cyclus'' irises. They are best planted in September or October in warm sunny positions, the rhizomes being lifted the following July after the leaves have withered.


Beardless rhizome iris (subgenus ''Limniris'')

There are six major subgroupings of the beardless iris, depending on origin. They are divided into Pacific Coast, Siberica, Spuria, Louisiana, Japanese, and other. Beardless rhizomatous iris types commonly found in the European garden are the
Siberian iris ''Iris sibirica'' ( commonly known as Siberian iris or Siberian flag), is a species in the genus ''Iris''. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from Europe (including France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hu ...
(''I. sibirica'') and its hybrids, and the
Japanese Iris The term "Japanese iris" encompasses three species of Irises cultivated in gardens or growing wild in Japan: ''hanashōbu'' ('' Iris ensata''), ''kakitsubata'' ('' Iris laevigata'') and ''ayame'' ('' Iris sanguinea''). Of these three species, ''I ...
('' I. ensata'') and its hybrids. "
Japanese iris The term "Japanese iris" encompasses three species of Irises cultivated in gardens or growing wild in Japan: ''hanashōbu'' ('' Iris ensata''), ''kakitsubata'' ('' Iris laevigata'') and ''ayame'' ('' Iris sanguinea''). Of these three species, ''I ...
" is also a catch-all term for the Japanese iris proper (''hanashōbu''), the blood iris ('' I. sanguinea, ayame'') and the rabbit-ear iris (''I. laevigata, kakitsubata''). '' I. unguicularis'' is a late-winter-flowering species from Algeria, with sky-blue flowers with a yellow streak in the centre of each petal, produced from Winter to Spring. Yet another beardless rhizomatous iris popular in gardening is '' I. ruthenica'', which has much the same requirements and characteristics as the tall bearded irises. In North America,
Louisiana iris Louisiana iris is a taxonomic group (''Iris'' ser. ''Hexagonae'') of five iris species native to Louisiana and surrounding regions of the southeastern United States: ''Iris fulva'', ''Iris hexagona'', ''Iris brevicaulis'', '' Iris giganticaerulea ...
and its hybrids are often cultivated.


Crested rhizome iris (subgenus ''Limniris'')

One specific species, ''
Iris cristata ''Iris cristata'' (also known as dwarf crested iris and crested iris) is a species in the genus ''Iris'', it is also in the subgenus of '' Limniris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, endemic to the eastern United States. It has pale lavend ...
'' from North America.


Bulbing juno iris (subgenus ''Scorpiris'')

Often called ' junos', this type of iris is one of the more popular bulb irises in cultivation. They are generally earliest to bloom.


Bulbing European iris (subgenus ''Xiphium'')

This group includes irises generally of European descent, and are also classified as Dutch, English, or Spanish iris. *''
Iris reticulata ''Iris reticulata'', the netted iris or golden netted iris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native from eastern Turkey to Iran, but cultivated widely in temperate regions. The reticulata group of irises is character ...
'' and ''
Iris persica ''Iris persica'', the Persian iris, is a native plant of Iran. It is particularly known for its beauty and fragrance. One of the first Juno irises to be described, this species has been in cultivation for centuries and was listed by Philip Mill ...
'', both of which are fragrant, are also popular with florists. *''
Iris xiphium ''Iris xiphium'', commonly known as the Spanish iris, is an iris native to Spain and Portugal. It has also been found in Corsica, South West France, southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia. This species is also known as the small bulbous-rooted ...
'', the Spanish Iris (also known as Dutch Iris) and *''
Iris latifolia ''Iris latifolia'', the English iris, also known as ''I. xiphiodes'' and ''I. anglica'', is a hardy flowering bulbous species of the iris genus, in the family Iridaceae. It is native to the Pyrenees of Southwestern France and Northwestern Spa ...
'', the English Iris. Despite the common names both the Spanish and English iris are of Spanish origin, and have very showy flowers, so they are popular with gardeners and florists. They are among the hardier bulbous irises, and can be grown in northern Europe. They require to be planted in thoroughly drained beds in very light open soil, moderately enriched, and should have a rather sheltered position. Both these present a long series of beautiful varieties of the most diverse colours, flowering in May, June and July, the smaller Spanish iris being the earlier of the two.


Bulbing reticulate iris (subgenus ''Hermodactyloides'')

Reticulate irises with their characteristic bulbs, including the yellow '' I. danfordiae'', and the various blue-purple '' I. histrioides'' and '' I. reticulata'', flower as early as February and March. These reticulate-bulbed irises are miniatures and popular spring bulbs, being one of the first to bloom in the garden. Many of the smaller species of bulbous iris, being liable to perish from excess of moisture, should have a well-drained bed of good but porous soil made up for them, in some sunny spot, and in winter should be protected by a covering of half-decayed leaves or fresh coco-fiber.


Gallery

File:Giradino dell'iris 2.JPG,
Giardino dell'Iris Giardino dell'Iris is a botanical garden specializing in the cultivation of iris (plant), iris flowers, symbol of Florence since 1251. It is located on the corner of Viale dei Colli and Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, and open daily wit ...
in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
File:Iris 'Mary Todd'.jpg, Bearded iris cultivar, similar to the classic/historical cultivar 'Alcazar' File:Iris 'Samurai Warrior'1.jpg, Chestnut iris cultivars like 'Samurai Warrior' are the closest that breeders have been able to attain to a red bearded iris File:Iris atropurpurea Netanya A.jpg, ''
Iris atropurpurea ''Iris atropurpurea'', the coastal iris ( he, אירוס הארגמן, ''Irus HaArgaman'', meaning "Purple Iris"; ar, سوسن أرجواني داكن, ''Sawsan argwānī al-dākin'') is a species in the genus ''Iris'', it is also in the subgenu ...
'', a dark flowered, bearded ''Oncocyclus'' iris File:Iris unguicularis 170208.jpg, ''
Iris unguicularis ''Iris unguicularis'' ( syn. ''Iris stylosa''), the Algerian iris, is a rhizomatous flowering plant in the genus '' Iris'', native to Greece, Turkey, Western Syria, and Tunisia. It grows to , with grassy evergreen leaves, producing pale lilac or ...
'' File:Iris Katharine Hodginkin220303.jpg, ''Iris'' 'Katharine Hodginkin', a bulbous cultivar being a hybrid of ''I. winogradowii'' and ''I. histrioides'' 'Major' File:Irisflower.jpg, ''
Iris kemaonensis ''Iris kemaonensis'', the Kumaon iris, is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris'' and in the section ''Pseudoregelia''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Tibetan China, Bhutan, India, Kashmir and Nepal. I ...
'' in
Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
File:Aa irises at gauntlet.jpg, ''Iris pseudacorus'' in
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
File:Iris 'Sharpshooter'.jpg, ''Iris'' 'Sharpshooter' in the
Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid ' ( Spanish for ''Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid'') is an botanical garden in Madrid (Spain). The public entrance is located at , next to the Prado Museum. History The garden was founded on October 17, 1755, by King Ferdinand VI, and ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
File:Unidentified Iris Chanticleer Blue 3264px.jpg, ''Iris ensata'' 'Blue Beauty' File:Iris 'Queen of Angels' 01.JPG, ''Iris'' 'Queen of Angels' File:Blatant Iris May 2013.JPG, ''Iris'' 'Blatant' File:Iris germanica old form 03.jpg, ''Iris germanica'', an old and vigorous cultivar that requires minimal culture File:Mrs Andrist.jpg, ''Iris'' 'Mrs. Andris', a vigorous, historic, tall bearded iris cultivar that Fryer hybridized in 1919 File:زنبق خودرو، بهبهان.jpg, alt=Wild Iris Spuria in Behbahan, Wild
Iris Spuria ''Iris spuria'' is a species of the genus Iris, part of the subgenus '' Limniris'' and the series '' Spuriae''. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, from Europe, Asia and Africa. It has purple or lilac flowers, and slender, elongated leaves. It ...
in
Behbahan Behbahan ( fa, بهبهان, also romanized as Behbahān and Behbehān) is a city and capital of Behbahan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Etymology The origin of the name "Behbahan" may be from two words: "Beh" meaning good better, and "Baha ...
File:زنبق خودرو در بهبهان.jpg, alt=Wild Iris Spuria in Behbahan, Wild
Iris Spuria ''Iris spuria'' is a species of the genus Iris, part of the subgenus '' Limniris'' and the series '' Spuriae''. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, from Europe, Asia and Africa. It has purple or lilac flowers, and slender, elongated leaves. It ...
in
Behbahan Behbahan ( fa, بهبهان, also romanized as Behbahān and Behbehān) is a city and capital of Behbahan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Etymology The origin of the name "Behbahan" may be from two words: "Beh" meaning good better, and "Baha ...


Uses


Aromatic rhizomes

Rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...
s of the German iris (''I. germanica'') and sweet iris (''I. pallida'') are traded as
orris root Orris root (''rhizoma iridis'') is the root of '' Iris germanica'' and ''Iris pallida''. It had the common name of Queen Elizabeth Root. Constituent chemicals The most valued component of orris root is oil of orris (0.1–0.2%), a yellow-whi ...
and are used in
perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent ...
and medicine, though more common in ancient times than today. Today Iris
essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
(
absolute Absolute may refer to: Companies * Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher * Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK * Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manag ...
) from flowers are sometimes used in
aromatherapy Aromatherapy is based on the usage of aromatic materials including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological and physical well-being. It is offered as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative ...
as
sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but ...
medicines. The dried rhizomes are also given whole to babies to help in teething. Gin brands such as
Bombay Sapphire Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin that is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, a subsidiary company of Bacardi, at Laverstoke Mill in the village of Laverstoke in the English county of Hampshire. The brand was first launched in 1986 by En ...
and Magellan Gin use orris root and sometimes iris flowers for flavor and color. For orris root production, iris rhizomes are harvested, dried, and aged for up to 5 years. In this time, the fats and oils inside the roots undergo degradation and
oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or ...
, which produces many fragrant compounds that are valuable in perfumery. The scent is said to be similar to violets. The aged rhizomes are steam-distilled which produces a thick oily compound, known in the perfume industry as "iris butter" or
orris oil Orris oil (orris butter or Beurre d'Iris) is an essential oil derived from irises, particularly ''Iris germanica''. It is sometimes used as a flavoring agent and as an ingredient in perfume production. It can also have uses in body lotions. Sto ...
. Iris rhizomes also contain notable amounts of
terpenes Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...
, and
organic acids An organic acid is an organic compound with acidic properties. The most common organic acids are the carboxylic acids, whose acidity is associated with their carboxyl group –COOH. Sulfonic acids, containing the group –SO2OH, are r ...
such as
ascorbic acid Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...
,
myristic acid Myristic acid (IUPAC name: tetradecanoic acid) is a common saturated fatty acid with the molecular formula CH3(CH2)12COOH. Its salts and esters are commonly referred to as myristates or tetradecanoates. It is named after the binomial name for nut ...
, tridecylenic acid and
undecylenic acid Undecylenic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CH(CH2)8CO2H. It is an unsaturated fatty acid. It is a colorless oil. Undecylenic acid is mainly used for the production of Nylon-11 and in the treatment of fungal infections of the s ...
. Iris rhizomes can be toxic.
Larger blue flag ''Iris versicolor'' is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris. It is a species of '' Iris' ...
('' I. versicolor'') and other species often grown in gardens and widely hybridized contain elevated amounts of the toxic
glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...
iridin. These rhizomes can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or skin irritation, but poisonings are not normally fatal. Irises should only be used medicinally under professional guidance.


Water purification

In water purification,
yellow iris ''Iris pseudacorus'', the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet ''pseudacorus'' means "false acorus", ref ...
(''I. pseudacorus'') is often used. The roots are usually planted in a substrate (e.g. lava-stone) in a
reedbed A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and estuaries. Reedbeds are part of a succession from young reeds colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground. A ...
-setup. The roots then improve water quality by consuming nutrient
pollutants A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like o ...
, such as from
agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...
runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...
. This highly aggressive grower is now considered a noxious weed and prohibited in some states of the US where it is found clogging natural waterways.


In culture

The Iris is one of the flowers listed as birth flower for February. In Christianity, the iris represents
Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...
as its sharp leaves are like swords. The
Iris croatica ''Iris croatica'' is a bearded Rhizome, rhizomatous species of Iris (plant), iris (subgenus ''Iris'') endemic to Croatia. Description It has branched stems and dark violet flowers. Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (out ...
is the unofficial National Flower of
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
. ''
Iris nigricans ''Iris nigricans'' is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is the national flower of Jordan. The flowers are blackish-purple and in diameter, and the plants are tall with recurved leaves. It needs direct sun and sharp drainage. It is ...
'', the black iris is the national flower of
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.
Iris bismarckiana ''Iris bismarckiana'', the Nazareth iris, is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris'' and in the section ''Oncocyclus''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountainsides of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. It ...
, the Nazareth Iris, is the symbol of the city of Upper Nazareth. In 1998, ''
Iris lacustris ''Iris lacustris'', the dwarf lake iris, is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the section ''Lophiris'' (crested irises). It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Great Lakes region of ea ...
'', the Dwarf Lake iris was designated the state wildflower of Michigan, where the vast majority of populations exist. In 1990, the
Louisiana iris Louisiana iris is a taxonomic group (''Iris'' ser. ''Hexagonae'') of five iris species native to Louisiana and surrounding regions of the southeastern United States: ''Iris fulva'', ''Iris hexagona'', ''Iris brevicaulis'', '' Iris giganticaerulea ...
was voted the state wildflower of
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
, though the state flower is the magnolia blossom. In Iran and Kashmir, ''
Iris kashmiriana ''Iris kashmiriana'' is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Kashmir, India. It has straight, sword-shaped, glaucous leaves, tall, thick stem with up 2 short branches, ...
'' and ''
Iris germanica Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
'' are most commonly grown on
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
grave yards.British Iris Society (1997) An iris — species unspecified — is one of the state flowers of
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
. It is generally accepted that the species ''
Iris versicolor ''Iris versicolor'' is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris. It is a species of ''Iris'' ...
'', the Purple Iris is the state flower alongside the wild-growing purple passionflower (''Passiflora incarnata''), the state's other
floral emblem In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...
.
Greeneville, Tennessee Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town ...
, is home to the annual Iris Festival celebrating the iris, local customs, and culture. The species ''Iris versicolor'' is also the provincial flower of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
, having replaced the
Madonna lily ''Lilium candidum'', the Madonna lily or white lily, is a plant in the true lily family. It is native to the Balkans and Middle East, and naturalized in other parts of Europe, including France, Italy, and Ukraine, and in North Africa, the Canary ...
which is not native to the province. and it is the official flower of
Kappa Pi Kappa Pi () International Art Honor Society, founded in 1911 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, is an International Collegiate Art Honorary Fraternity. It is open to any student who has talent for or supports visual art. Kappa ...
International Honorary Art Fraternity. The artist
George Gessert George Gessert is one of the best-known artists in the contemporary art movement known as bio-art a/k/a BioArt. Gessert began his career as a painter and printmaker, and began breeding plants as an art form in the late 1970s. Beginning in the 1980s ...
has specialised in breeding irises. The artist
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
painted several famous pictures of irises. The American artist Joseph Mason – a friend of
John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictori ...
– painted a precise image of what was then known as the Louisiana flag or copper iris (''
Iris fulva ''Iris fulva'', also known as copper iris, is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the series '' Hexagonae''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, endemic to the southern and central United States. It has co ...
''), to which Audubon subsequently added two Northern paraula birds (''
Parula americana The northern parula (''Setophaga americana'') is a small New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida. Description The northern parula is one of the smaller North American migratory warblers, often being ...
'') for inclusion as Plate 15 in his '' Birds of America''. The artist
Philip Hermogenes Calderon Philip Hermogenes Calderon (Poitiers 3 May 1833 – 30 April 1898 London) was an English painter of French birth (mother) and Spanish (father) ancestry who initially worked in the Pre-Raphaelite style before moving towards historical genre ...
painted an iris in his 1856 work ''Broken Vows''; he followed the principles of the
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, Jame ...
. An ancient belief is that the iris serves as a warning to be heeded, as it was named for the messenger of Olympus. It also conveys images of lost love and silent grief, for young girls were led into the afterlife by Iris. ''Broken Vows'' was accompanied with poetry by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely trans ...
when it was first exhibited. French King
Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single ki ...
(466–511), when he converted to Christianity, changed his symbol on his banner from three toads to irises (the
Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
's flower). The
fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
, a stylized iris, first occurs in its modern use as the emblem of the
House of Capet The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most ...
. The fleur-de-lis has been associated with France since
Louis VII Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...
adopted it as a symbol in the 12th century. The yellow fleur-de-lis reflects the
yellow iris ''Iris pseudacorus'', the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet ''pseudacorus'' means "false acorus", ref ...
(''I. pseudacorus''), common in
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
. Contemporary uses can be seen in the
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
flag and the logo of the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
professional football team and on the flag of
Saint Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...
. The red fleur-de-lis in the
coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
and
flag of Florence __FORCETOC__ The Flag of Florence, also known as the ''Giglio of Florence'' (), was the flag of the Republic of Florence between 1250 and 1532. The flag persisted as a symbol of the city following the dissolution of the Republic and enjoys continu ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, descends from the white iris which is native to Florence and which grew even in its city walls. This white iris displayed against a red background was the symbol of Florence until the
Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
family reversed the colors to signal a change in political power, setting in motion a centuries-long and still on-going breeding program to hybridize a red iris. The fleur-de-lis is the almost-universal symbol of
Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...
and one of the symbols adopted by the sorority
Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States ...
. A stylized yellow iris is the symbol of
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, since historically the important
Saint Gaugericus Island In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
was carpeted in them. The iris symbol is now the sole feature on the
flag of the Brussels-Capital Region The Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region consists of a stylized yellow, grey and white iris on a blue background. Note that this is the flag of the whole Brussels Region, and the City of Brussels municipality has a different flag. The first flag w ...
. The provincial flower of
Québec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
(
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
) is the harlequin blueflag (''I. versicolor''), called ''iris versicolore'' in
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. It is thought in China, that
Iris anguifuga ''Iris anguifuga'' (or snake-bane iris) is a beardless iris in the genus '' Iris'', in the subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the series '' Tenuifoliae'' of the genus. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from China. It has narrow green leaves, ...
has the ability to keep snakes from entering the garden. It grows all winter, keeping snakes out, but then goes dormant in the spring, allowing the snakes back into the garden. In the autumn, the iris re-appears and can stop the snakes again. In the ''
Homeric Hymn to Demeter The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three anonymous ancient Greek hymns celebrating individual gods. The hymns are "Homeric" in the sense that they employ the same epic meter—dactylic hexameter—as the ''Iliad'' and ''Odyssey'', ...
'', the goddess
Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld aft ...
and her companion
nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
s (the
Oceanids In Greek mythology, the Oceanids or Oceanides (; grc, Ὠκεανίδες, Ōkeanídes, pl. of grc, Ὠκεανίς, Ōkeanís, label=none) are the nymphs who were the three thousand (a number interpreted as meaning "innumerable") daughters o ...
along with
Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with ...
and
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...
) were gathering flowers such as rose, crocus, violet, iris (also called 'agallis' or ἀγαλλίς (in
Greek script The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known alphabetic script to have distinct letters for vowels as w ...
), lily, larkspur, and hyacinthR. P. Winnington-Ingram in a springtime meadow before she was abducted by the god
Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
. It has been suggested that the 'agallis' mentioned was a dwarf iris, as described by leaf and root shape,) and identified as
Iris attica ''Iris attica'', the Greek iris, is a plant species in the genus ''Iris (plant), Iris'', it is also in the subgenus ''Iris subg. Iris, Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, perennial, from the mountains of the Balkans in Europe, within the ...
.Umberto Quattrocchi * * * *


Diseases

''
Narcissus mosaic virus ''Narcissus mosaic virus'' (NMV) is a plant pathogenic virus in the genus ''Potexvirus'' and family ''Alphaflexiviridae'', which infects ''Narcissus''. Description Isolated in the Netherlands and the UK from ''Narcissus pseudonarcissus'' in 19 ...
'' is most commonly known from ''Narcissus''. Wylie ''et al.'', 2014 make the first identification of ''Narcissus mosaic virus'' infecting this genus, and the first in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. ''
Japanese iris necrotic ring virus Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
'' commonly infects this genus. It was, however, unknown in Australia until Wylie ''et al.'', 2012 identified it here in '' I. ensata''.


Gallery

Image:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - Broken Vows - Ashmolean Museum.jpg,
Philip Hermogenes Calderon Philip Hermogenes Calderon (Poitiers 3 May 1833 – 30 April 1898 London) was an English painter of French birth (mother) and Spanish (father) ancestry who initially worked in the Pre-Raphaelite style before moving towards historical genre ...
's ''Broken Vows'' with the iris at lower left Image:Arms of the Kings of France (France Ancien).svg, Early coat-of-arms of the
House of Capet The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most ...
(France ancient) File:FlorenceCoA.svg, Coat-of-arms of Florence Image:Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region.svg,
Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region The Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region consists of a stylized yellow, grey and white iris on a blue background. Note that this is the flag of the whole Brussels Region, and the City of Brussels municipality has a different flag. The first flag w ...
File:Flag of Quebec.svg,
Flag of Quebec The flag of Quebec, called the (), represents the Canadian province of Quebec. It consists of a white cross on a blue background, with four white fleurs-de-lis. It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada and was originally sh ...
File:Flag of the Fransaskois.svg, Variant on Fransaskois flag File:Lilie stilisiert 2.svg, Stylized Lily used in heraldry


See also

*
American Iris Society The American Iris Society (AIS, founded 1920) is an organization dedicated to sharing information about and sponsoring research on the iris, a temperate zone plant that is often cultivated for its showy flowers. A major goal in its early years was t ...
*
Banshu Yamasaki Iris Garden The is an iris flower garden approximately 1,25 km (2 miles) northeast of Shisō in Hyōgo Prefecture, in the Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the ...


References


Bibliography

* Chancery of the Prime Minister, Kingdom of Belgium (2007)
Brussels Town Hall
Retrieved November 11, 2007. * * * * *


Taxonomy

* * * * * * (translation) * *


External links



Copper Iris / Louisiana Flag (''Iris cuprea'') from John James Audubon's ''Birds of America''
Flora of North America: ''Iris''Flora of China: ''Iris''Flora of Pakistan: ''Iris''Flora of Nepal: ''Iris''
by David Payne-Joyce; includes plates from Dykes (1913).
The American Iris SocietyHistoric Iris Preservation SocietyIris listings at Wild Flowers of Israel
*Gouvernement du Québe

(French) {{Authority control Iridaceae genera Rhizomatous plants Bulbous plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus