''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
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
as purple iris.
It is a species of ''
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 ...
'' native to North America, in the
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
and Eastern Canada. It is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores. The specific epithet ''versicolor'' means "variously coloured".
It is one of the three ''Iris'' species in the Iris flower data set, ''Iris'' flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper "The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems" as an example of linear discriminant analysis.
Description
''Iris versicolor'' is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant, growing high. It tends to form large clumps from thick, creeping rhizomes. The unwinged, erect plant stem, stems generally have basal leaves that are more than wide. Leaves are folded on the midribs so that they form an overlapping flat fan. The well developed blue flower has 6 petals and sepals spread out nearly flat and have two forms. The longer sepals are hairless and have a greenish-yellow blotch at their base. The inferior ovary is bluntly angled. Flowers are usually light to deep blue (purple and violet are not uncommon) and bloom during May to July. Fruit is a 3-celled, bluntly angled capsule. The large seeds can be observed floating in fall.
Chemical constituents
The species has been implicated in several poisoning cases of humans and animals who consumed the rhizomes, which have been found to contain a glycoside, iridin. The Sap (plant), sap can cause dermatitis in susceptible individuals.
Toxicity and uses
Both the leaves and roots are poisonous, and can cause stomach and intestinal inflammation. Consuming the plant can be fatal to calves.
The iris has been used as magical plant, with people carrying the root (or rhizome) to get 'financial gain', or it was placed in cash registers to increase business.
Symbolism
The iris is the official state flower of the U.S. state of Tennessee. This designation was made in 1933 by the state legislature. Although the law does not specifically define a type of iris, it is generally accepted that the purple iris is the state flower.
The blue flag has been the provincial flower of Quebec since 1999, having replaced the Madonna lily which is not native to the province.
The Purple Iris is the official flower of Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity.
Gallery
File:Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) - United States National Arboretum - (1).jpg, Iris versicolor 'Blue Flag'
File:Iris versicolor MHNT.BOT.2009.7.16.jpg, ''Iris versicolor''
File:American Medicinal Plants-173-0967-Iris versicolor.jpg, ''Iris versicolor'' - botanical illustration in ''American Medicinal Plants'', 1887
References
External links
USGS.gov: Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin
{{Taxonbar, from=Q164844
Iris (plant), versicolor
Flora of Eastern Canada
Flora of the Eastern United States
Flora of the Appalachian Mountains
Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America)
Garden plants of North America
Flora of Ontario
Provincial symbols of Quebec
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus