Iris (plant)

Iris (plant), common name for a family of herbaceous flowering plants. The flowers are composed of a floral envelope (perianth) with six petal-like segments, three or six stamens, and an ovary enclosed by the base of the perianth. About 1800 species exist, placed in more than 90 genera. The family has many horticulturally important members; most are as well known by their scientific names as by common names, including crocuses, irises, and tiger-flowers. Members of the family generally have long and narrow basal leaves in two ranks and a showy perianth. In the iris genus itself the inner three segments, called standards, are erect and narrowed at the base. The outer three are also narrowed, but usually droop and are called falls. The beard in bearded irises consists of a group of colored hairs on the upper surface of each of the falls.

Some 200 species of iris are divided into two groups. The first has creeping, underground stems, or rhizomes; it includes the bearded, or German, irises and the Japanese and Siberian, or beardless, irises. The second group has bulbs, modified underground buds with fleshy leaf bases; it includes the Dutch, Spanish, and English varieties.

Aside from its horticultural value, the iris family is of little economic importance. Rhizomes of several species, mainly the orris, are dried and powdered to obtain orris root, used in perfume and other cosmetics. Saffron, used as a dye and to color and flavor food, is obtained from the three-parted stigmas of the saffron crocus. This species has been cultivated for a very long time and is no longer found in the wild. Its commercial importance is declining, however, because hand labor is required for harvesting.

Scientific classification: Iris is the common name for the family Iridaceae. The orris is classified as Iris germanica variety florentina and the saffron crocus as Crocus sativus.