IRIS FAMILY, a family of monocotyledon ous herbs, mostly perennials with tubers, corms or rhizomes, and usually with an acrid flavor. About 800 species belonging to more than 50 genera have been described from temperate and tropical climates, mostly from South Africa and tropical America. They are char acterized by two rows of leaves, the outer of which fit over and protect the inner (equitant); regular or irregular perfect flowers which are frequently handsome; perianth six-parted, the other floral organs in threes; and many-seeded, three-celled fruits (capsules). Some species have been used as food in countries where they are native; others furnish rootstocks which are used for making perfumes, orris; some few have been employed to a limited ex tent in medicine but the species most widely popular are cultivated for ornamental purposes. Of these last the most important genera are Iris Gladiolus, Freessa, Crocus, Tigridia, Tritonia, Sisyrinchium, Isla and Belamcanda, elsewhere described.
The plants of the genus Iris constitute one of the c •ef ornaments of the northern regions of the globe, and usually grow in wet places, bearing flowers of various colors, but the pre vailing tint is blue. The common wild iris or
flag (I. pseudacorus), common in Europe and also found in the eastern United States, has yellow flowers of large size and long sword like leaves. The gladdon or stinking iris (I. fcetidissima) is a British species, with bluish flowers. Among favorite garden species are the English iris (I. xiphioides), the Persian iris (I. persica), the common iris (I. germanica), and the Chalcedonian iris (I. susiana). Proh. ably the favorite species in cultivation is the Japanese iris, I. lcevsgata. Orris root consists of the rootstocks of the white-flowered I. florentina and some other species. Among the species found in the United States are the larger blue flag (I. versicolor), common from the At. !antic coast to the Mississippi, the slender blue flag (I. prismatica), and several dwarf species.