Iris germanica florentina
| Iris germanica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Iris germanica florentina (common name: orris)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. A sterile plant, it does not produce seed[1].
Division, best done after flowering though it is usually successful at most times of the year. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained soil that contains some lime[2][3]. Grows well in dry soils in light deciduous shade[4]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[3]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5 or higher[5].
The plant is sometimes cultivated for the essential oil in its root[6][7].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[1].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Probably an albino form of I. germanica, it is not found in a truly wild situation[8].
Edibility: The root can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a food flavouring[9]. The root may take several years of drying to develop its full fragrance[10].
Medicinal: The dried root is diuretic, expectorant and stomachic[11][12]. It is taken internally in the treatment of coughs, catarrh and diarrhoea[12]. Externally it is applied to deep wounds[12]. The root is harvested in late summer and early autumn and dried for later use[12].
The juice of the fresh root is a strong purge of great efficiency in the treatment of dropsy[13].
Usage: The root is a source of Orris powder which has the scent of violets[12]. It is obtained by grinding up the dried root[13][14][7]. It is much used as a fixative in perfumery and pot-pourri, as an ingredient of toothpastes, breath fresheners etc and as a food flavouring. The root can take several years of drying to fully develop its violet-like fragrance, when fresh it has an acrid flavour and almost no smell[13][10]. An essential oil is obtained from the fresh root, this has the same uses as the root[15][16].
The root has been burnt in open fires in order to sweeten the smell of a room[17].
The juice of the root is sometimes used as a cosmetic and also for the removal of freckles from the skin[13].
A black dye is obtained from the root[10].
A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[10].
The seeds are used as rosary beads[16].
Plants can be grown for ground cover, the dense mat of roots excluding all weeds[18].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves, and especially the rhizomes, of this species contain an irritating resinous substance called irisin. If ingested this can cause severe gastric disturbances[19].
Plants can cause skin irritations and allergies in some people[12].
Also Known As: I. florentina. L.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Innes, Clive. The World of Iridaceae. Holly Gate, 1985.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.