In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases that function as food storage organs during dormancy.
Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also widely used as a common name for all Iris species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.
Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide. It includes a number of other well known cultivated plants, such as freesias, gladioli and crocuses.
Iris pseudacorus is a species of flowering plant of the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet, meaning "false acorus", refers to the similarity of its leaves to those of Acorus calamus as they have a prominently veined mid-rib and sword-like shape. However, they are not closely related.
Iris is an ambiguous color term, usually referring to shades ranging from blue-violet to violet.
Iris versicolor is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris.
Iris xiphium, commonly known as the Spanish iris, is an iris native to Spain and Portugal. It has also been found in Corsica, South West France, southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia. This species is also known as the small bulbous-rooted iris.
Iris pallida is a hardy flowering perennial plant of the genus Iris, family Iridaceae. It is native to the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) but widely naturalised elsewhere. It is a member of the subgenus iris, meaning that it is a bearded iris, and grows from a rhizome.
There are currently two symbols of the Brussels. Both the flag and the emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region depict the Iris pseudacorus, a flower native to the Brussels area. Additionally, every municipality of the region has its own flag and coat of arms.
The term "Japanese iris" encompasses three species of Irises cultivated in gardens or growing wild in Japan: hanashōbu, kakitsubata and ayame. Of these three species, I. ensata is the one most commonly referred to as "Japanese iris" outside Japan.
Iris pumila, sometimes known as pygmy iris or dwarf iris, probably originated as a natural hybrid between Iris pseudopumila Boissier & Heldreich and I. attica Tineo. It ranges from Austria through eastern Europe and the Balkans, in Eurasian steppe in Ukraine, southern Russia into southern Siberia and northern Kazhakstan, and the Caucasus into Turkey.
Iris flavescens, also known as the lemonyellow iris, is a species of Iris that has distichous leaves and pale yellow flowers. It is similar in appearance to Iris sambucina, although with flowers that are more faded in colour. It can be found in Pennsylvania, United States.
Iris variegata is a species in the genus Iris, also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial from eastern Europe. It has dark green, ribbed leaves. The branched flowering stems can be as tall as the leaves, they can hold 2–3 flowers in summer. They are yellowish-white, with brown-purple veins on the drooping falls. It is very hardy and it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. There are several cultivars.
Subgenus Iris is one subgenus of Iris.
The genus was originally classified by Carl Linnaeus, but then further organised by Brian Mathew between 1981 and 1987.
Iris cuniculiformis is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Pseudoregelia section. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from China, it has long and thin green leaves, and 1 lilac large flowers, that have yellow or grey beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris bicapitata is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Gargano Peninsula, Italy. It has sickle or pointed leaves, shorter than the flowering stem. It has two flowers, which come in variable shades from yellow, white, lilac, blue and violet. They can also be bi-coloured. It is thought to have been derived from Iris pseudopumila. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris griffithii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Afghanistan. It has short, sickle-shaped leaves, short green stem and purple flowers with white beards. Several specimens exist within herbaria around Europe, but it is rarely cultivated.
Iris junonia is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Cilicia, within the Taurus Mountains. It has glaucous short leaves, tall stems with several branches, numerous flowers in various colours from blue-purple, lavender, pale blue, cream, white and yellow, with brown veining and white tipped orange beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. Its status is still unclear, if it is a synonym of Iris germanica or a separate species.
Iris timofejewii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iris, and also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountain slopes of the Caucasus and Dagestan. It has narrow, evergreen, falcate (sickle-shaped), grey-green (glaucous) leaves, and a short flowering stem just taller than the leaves. Each stem has 1–2 flowers in shades of violet, with white beards that have purple tips. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Black Iris, sometimes called Black Iris III, is a 1926 oil painting by Georgia O'Keeffe. Art historian Linda Nochlin interpreted Black Iris as a morphological metaphor for female genitalia. O'Keeffe rejected such interpretations in a 1939 text accompanying an exhibition of her work by writing: "Well—I made you take time to look at what I saw and when you took time to really notice my flower you hung all your own associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower—and I don't." She attempted to do away with sexualized readings of her work by adding a lot of detail.
