JR I s PsEUDACORUS. Y e LLOW I r IS.
IRIS Lin. Gen. PI. T riandria Monogynia
Cor. Limbo 4. partito : Petaïïs alternis reflexis. Stigmata petaliformia.
Raii. Syn. Gen. 26. Herb® radice bulbosa prejd'It®.
IRIS Pfeudacorus corollis imberbibus, petalis interioribus ftigmate minoribus, foliis enfiformibus. Lin.
Syfi. Vegetab. p. 79. Sp. PI. p. 56. Fl. Suec. n. 37.
IRIS caule inflexo, foliis enfiformibus ; petalis eredtis, minimis, reflexis, imberbibus.Haller H]i. n. 1260.
IRIS Pfeudacorus. Scopoli. Fl. Carn. n. 49.
IRIS paluftris lutea. Ger. em. 50.
ACORUS adulterinus. Bauh. pin. 74.
ACORU3 paluftris, five Pfeudo-iris et Iris lutea paluftris. Park 1219. Raii. Syn. p. 174. Yellow water
■ Flower-de-luce.. | '
Hudfon. Fl. Angl. ed. 2.p. 14. Lightfoot, Fl. Scot. p. 86. Oeder. Fl. Dan. t. 404.
RADIX perennis, craflitie pollicis, horizontalis, foris |
nigricans, intus rubicundus, fpongiofus, ;fu- |
perne plurimis fibrillis rigidis obtecta, inferne *
dimittens radiculas longas, albidas, rugofas. |
*
i
FOLIA radicalia, bi aut tripedalia, ere&a, lata, en- |
[ fiformia, nervo eminente, bafi equitantia, £
caulina breviora, alterna, bafi vaginantia. |
i*t
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, ereftus, e gehiculo ad |
geniculurn alterne inclinatus, teres, lævis, i
TpOngiofuS. ; ;
FLORES eredti, fpeciofi, flavi.
PEDUNCULI axillares,, femiteretes, glabri.
CALYX : Sp a t h a biflora aut triflora, bivalvis, trival- ::
vis aut quadrivalvis fecundum numerum ;;
florum.
COROLLA fexpartita ; P e t a l a tria exteriora ampla, ‘ |
ovato rotundata, reflexa, lineis rubris feu ex : ;
rubro-fufeis ad bafin laminae pidta, ad bafin : :
unguis biforaminofa, tria interiora primo ; ;
eredta, cito inflexa, ftigmate breviora, oblonga, • ;
bafi anguftata, intus cava. fig. 1 .2 . '■ ■
STAMINA: F il am e n t a tria, fubulata, pomprefla î •;
A nther® oblongæ, Iuteæ, marginibus pur- \ ;
purafeentibus,' ab incumbente ftigmate in ; ;
arcum depreflæ, biloculares, loculæ lineares, : :
inferne dehifeentes, fig. 3. • :
PISTILLUM: G ermen inferum, oblongum, trigonum, ; :
angulis. obtufis fulcatis; S t y lu s tenuis, £
germine brevior ; St ig m a maximum, tripar- |
titum, flavum, laciniis oblqngis, fuperne %
carinatis, iuferne concavis apice trifidis, ve- |
nofis, ferrulatis, fegmento medio brevifîimo, |
infero. fig. 4. 5. 6. t
% t.
t
PERICARPIUM : C a p su l a oblonga, angulata, tri- |
locularis, trivalvis. fig. 7. ' $
; STAMINA plurima, magna, flavefeentia, utrinque i
: comprefla.j/%. 8. ^
RO OT perennial, the thicknefs of ones thumb, horizontal,
externally blackifh, reddilh with-
infide, and"fpongy, the upper part covered
with numerous- rigid fibres, its lower part
fending down many long, whitifti, wrinkled,
ftringy roots.
LEAVES from the root, two or three feet high, upright,
broad, fword-lhaped, with a prominent
midrib, at bottom riding one on another and
covered with a glutinous fubftance, thofe on
the ftalk (horter, alternate, forming a Iheath
at the bottom.
STALKS from one to three feet in height, upright,
alternately inclined from joint to joint, round,
; . fmooth, and fpongy.
FLOWERS upright, fhowy, of a yellow Colour»
FLOWER-SLALKS proceeding from the alas of the
leaves, round, but flattened on one fide and
fmooth.
C A L YX , a Spatha containing two or three flowers, of
two, three, or four valves according to the
number of flowers*. -
COROLLA deeply divided into fix fegments: the
three outermoft fegments or Pe t al s large,
of a roundilh oval lhape, turning back, painted
at the bafe of the broad part with lines of a
reddifh brown colour-, and at the bottom of
the claw or narrow part having the appearance
of two fmall holes, fig. 1. 2.
STAMINA: three F illaments flat and tapering;
A nther.® oblong, - yellow, edges purplilh,
.bent down by the ftigma prefling on them,
having two cavities which are linear and
open on the under fide. fig. 3.
PISTILLUM: Germen placed below the corolla,
three cornered, the angles blunt and grooved;
S ty le flender, fhorter than the ftigma;
Stigma very large, deeply divided into three
fegments, of a yellow colour, the fegments
oblong, above keel-fhaped, below concave,
at the top veiny1, faw’ed at the edge
and fubdivided into three fegments of which
the middle one is very fhort and placed underneath.
fig. 4. 5. 6.
SEED-VESSEL, an oblong, angular C apsule, of
three cavities and three valves, fig. 7.
SEEDS numerous, large, of a yellowifh colour and
flattened on both fides. fig. 8.
MANY of the plants of this tribe recommend thernfelves to OUr notice by the beauty and delicacy of their
bloffoms, feme by their medicinal, and others by their oeconomical ufes; the prefent plant may perhaps put
in its claim on each of thefe accounts, and though its flowers may not poflefs the fragrance fo grateful in the
Iris peifica, the magnificence which aftonifhes in the fufiana, or the variety of colours which glow in the verficolory
yet thofe who have examined its ftrutture muft allow it to be at once beautiful, delicate, and Angularly curious;
the Stigma in particular deferves to be noticed by the Student, being, in form and fubftance more- like the
petals than the part it really is-.
As to its medicinal powers----- the root is without fmell, vifeid, and of a fweetifh tafte, its infufion and
decodtion at firft very fweet, then highly aftringent, .prefently producing a fenfe of heat in the throat, which
Continued with me for more than twelve hours. Rutty Mat Med.
An infufion of it became black on the addition of Vitriol of iron. id.
In drying it lofes much of its acrimony, id.
Cut into the form of peafe it is ufeful to deftroy the proud flefh in iHiies, and promotes their difeharge id.
The juice has been ufed to promote.fneezing, but being highly acrimonious of itfelf, a few drops of it mix’d
'vith milk has been ufed to produce that efFedt in the tooth-ach. id.'
The juice of the root has alfo been recommended to be applied to creeping ulcers, and being confidered as
poflefling confiderable aftringent powers, it has been adminftered in fluxes but very injudiciously according to
fp$| modern experiments made with it, (yid'Edinburg Med. Effays) by which it was found that eighty drops of
this juice repeated every hour or two, proved an excellent purgative where. Jalap and Gamboge had in vain been
exhibited. On the whole it-appears to be a violent medicine, and to- be ufed with great caution. The only
account we have of its oeconomical ufes is, that an infufion or decodtion of it like that of galls and other vege-
t table afti ingents is capable'with the addition of iron of being converted into ink, or of dying black, to both of
which purpofes it has long been applied in Scotland and the adjacent Ifles. Sibbaid. Lightjoot.
It is a very common plant in marfhy meadows, by the fides of rivers, ponds, &c. and flowers in the fceein-
nmg of July. 1 • *
Planted in the garden.where the foil is moift, it enefeafes exceedingly both by root and feeds.