Iris versicolor

Iris versicolor
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Iridoideae
Tribe: Irideae
Genus: Iris
Species: I. versicolor
Binomial name
Iris versicolor
L.

Iris versicolor is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag,[1] and poison flag, plus other variations of these names,[2][3] and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris.[4]

It is a species of Iris native to North America, in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. It is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores. The specific epithet versicolor means "variously coloured".[5]

It is one of the three Iris species in the 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.[6]

Description

Iris versicolor is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant, growing 10–80 centimetres high. This iris tends to form large clumps from thick, creeping rhizomes. The unwinged, erect stems generally have basal leaves that are more than 1 cm 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 can cause dermatitis in susceptible individuals.

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.[7]

The blue flag is the provincial flower of Quebec, having replaced the Madonna lily which is not native to the province.[8]

The Purple Iris is the official flower of Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity.[9]

References

  1. ↑ ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, 2004.
  2. ↑ "Blue Flag Iris". ontariowildflowers.com. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Thomas Lathrop Stedman (editor)Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing&pg=PA406 XzvU0qd4IQkC , p. 406, at Google Books
  4. ↑ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ↑ Stearn, W.T. (2004). Botanical Latin (4th (p/b) ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 527. ISBN 978-0-7153-1643-6.
  6. ↑ R. A. Fisher (1936). "The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems" (PDF). Annals of Eugenics. 7 (2): 179–188. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1809.1936.tb02137.x.
  7. ↑ "State of Tennessee". state.tn.us.
  8. ↑ (in French) Gouvernement du Québec Emblèmes du Québec - Iris versicolor
  9. ↑ Article I, Section 2. "International Constitution of Kappa Pi" (PDF). Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity Inc.
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