Iris

Family Cruciferae. The domestic botanical tradition excludes bulbous irises from the genus Iris L. At the same time, in Western botanical and horticultural tradition, especially in English-speaking countries, all these plants are still called irises and came to us from Holland under that name.

This article deals only with rhizomatous irises.

Name: given by Hippocrates, 'iris' in translation from Ancient Greek means rainbow. The variety and richness of the colors of these plants' flowers are rightly compared to one of nature's most beautiful phenomena. In Greek mythology, this was the name of the goddess who descended from Olympus to Earth to announce the will of the gods to people.

According to legend, the first iris flower bloomed in time immemorial in Southeast Asia; everyone admired its beauty — animals, birds, waters, winds — and when its seeds ripened they were carried across the world. The Romans gave one of their cities the name Florentia (Flowering) simply because its surroundings were strewn with irises. Irises were revered in Arabia and Ancient Egypt, where they were cultivated as early as the 15th–14th centuries BC; in Japan irises and bitter oranges were used to make magical amulets for boys that protected against illness and instilled courage. Irises have been cultivated for more than two millennia; they are valued not only for the beauty and fragrance of their flowers but also for the scent of the root (extracts from it are used in the perfume industry and in the production of alcoholic beverages and confectionery). The roots of the Junggar iris are used in leather tanning, and ropes and mats are woven from the leaves.

Description of the iris: about 250 species are known, occurring in Europe, Asia, North America, and North Africa. Perennial herbaceous rhizomatous plants. They have two types of shoots: vegetative and generative. Vegetative shoots are perennial underground rhizomes, buried in the soil or located on the surface, consisting of separate annual segments bearing tufts of leaves. On the lower surface of the rhizome, cord-like or thread-like, fibrous adventitious roots develop. Generative shoots (flower stems) are annual, solitary or several together. Leaves are sword-shaped, flat, distichous, sometimes linear, thin, with a waxy bloom, mostly arranged in fan-shaped tufts at the base of the flower stems. There are few or no stem leaves. Flowers are solitary or in few-flowered inflorescences, in some species fragrant, distinguished by an elegant form and a rich palette of shades ranging from pure white, yellow, blue to purple and almost black. The flower is large, simple, composed of six petal-like segments of the perianth (they are usually called "petals"). In some species the inner segments are reduced.

The three outer segments are somewhat drooping downward. Often in size, shape, and color they differ from the three inner segments, which are usually raised upward. Fusing at the base, the perianth segments form a tube, the length of which can vary. The ovary is three-celled. The style of the pistil is divided into three petal-like lobes; at the tip of each there are two comb-like appendages, which in some species reach considerable size, successfully masking and protecting the stigmatic lobes of the pistil from rain; the stigma usually has a lip-like form, more rarely triangular or awl-shaped. Irises bloom from May to July. Flowers live one to five days; in the inflorescence they open from top to bottom, with 1–3 flowers blooming simultaneously. The floral bud on the rhizome is formed in summer. The fruit is a three-celled capsule. There are 10–16 seeds per 1 g (depending on the species often more).