6 p t 578 ]
I RI S Pfeud-acorus.
Yellow Water-Iris.
T H I A N D R 1A Monogynia.
G en. C har. Petals 6, fuperior, alternately reflexed.
Stigmas like petals.
S pe c . C h ar. ' C o ro lla b e a r d le f s : in n e r p eta ls lefs
th an th e ftigm a s . L e a v e s fw o rd - fh ap ed .
Sy n . Iris P fe u d -a c o ru s . Linn. Sp. PI. 5 6 . Hudf. 14 .
With. 6 9 . Relb. 1 5 . Sibth. 2 1 . Abbot. 9. Curt.
Lond. fafc. 3 . t. 4 . Woodv. Med. Pot. t. 40 .
I . p alu ftris lu te a . Rail Syn. 3 7 4 .
V E R Y common in watery ditches, pools, and the margins
of rivers, flowering in July, when it makes a very confpicuous
and handfome appearance.
Root perennial, flefhy, horizontal, deprefled, of a reddifh
brown, throwing out numerous long fibres, from its under fide.
Stem upright, roundifti, fmooth, leafy, bearing from 3 to 6
flowers, and a little taller than the leaves, which are alfo ereft,
about 3 feet high, fword-fhaped, pointed, ribbed, inclining to
a glaucous hue. Flowers of a full lemon-colour, the larger petals
elegantly pencilled with dark purple, their termination
roundifh, broad, dependent. The inner petals are ere£t, narrow,
blunt, much fhorter than the arched, fringed and cloven,
petal-like ftigmas, which conftitute the lingular character of
this genus, and under which the antherse are fheltered. Ray
mentions a variety with paler flowers, which is not very uncommon,
and another with white ones 5 the latter we have
never feen.
A flice of the frefh root, which is acrid and violently aftrin-
gent, being held between the teeth, will very quickly remove
fome kinds of tooth-ache.