The Iris Flower

Irises are found all around the world except in extremely cold regions. Its common and genus names are both iris. The family is iridaceous. Many people call the plant flags because its leaves grow in the shape of a paper fan. Irises can be either rhizomes or bulbs. Some of the varieties include Japanese, German, Siberian, and Dutch irises. The upper petals of the blooms are called standards and the lower petals are called falls.

The iris flower is available in a variety of colors and every year it seems that more colors are available. In fact, the name iris is Greek and it means rainbow for its many colors. However, most irises are shades of blue or purple. The majority of irises that we see today are hybrids of the originals.

The iris has been around for many centuries, and many artists have chosen to paint them. There are several famous paintings of the flowers. From 1888 to 1890, Vincent van Gogh painted at least four paintings of irises. Claude Oscar Monet painted "Iris" sometime between 1914 and 1917. A couple more paintings are dated back to the 1400 and 1500's, but the actual artists are unknown.

Not only is the iris a beautiful flower, but also they have several uses. As a live plant they are used as a water purifier. After harvesting, the rhizomes are known be used for teething babies. They are ingredients in some perfumes, homemade toothpaste, pottery and herbal medicines. Even though it is used in some medicines, a part of the iris is poisonous if it is ingested.