IRIGA, t-Wget. A town of Luzon, Philippines, in the Province of South Ca marines (Map: Philippine Island:, IL It lies about 22 miles southeast of Nueva Cficeres, and has n population (1898) of about 17.100.
I'RIS (Lat., from Gk. 'Ipts). In Ilesiod, the daughter of Thaumas and Electra, and sister of the Harpies (q.v.). In the Homeric poems she is the virgin messenger of the gods; but Alezeus and later writers state that she was the wife of Zephyrus and the mother of Eros. She is fre quently represented on vases and in bas-reliefs as a youthful winged virgin, with a staff. The mime in Greek means 'rainbow,' awl though Virgil is the first writer to represent the bow as the path of the goddess, there can be no doubt of their original connection. It may be noted that to the Greeks the rainbow was a divine portent, presaging war or heavy rain. Consult: Mayer. "Iris," in Roscher, Lexikon der gri•chischen uml romischen mythologic (Leipzig, 1890-91).—Iris is also the name of one of the planetoids (q.v.). discovered in 18-17.
IRIS (Lat.. from (Ik. Ifas. rainbow, sort of lily), or blowEit-14:-LucE. A genus of plants of the natural order Iritlaccie, having the three outer segments of the perianth reflexed, the three inner arched inward. and three petal-like stigmas covering the stamens. The species are chiefly natives of temperate climates. especially of North America and Europe. The yellow iris, or corn-tlag (Iris New/aeon's), is a well-known native of moist grounds in many parts of Europe. often spreading over a considerable extent of land, and eonspicuous even at a distance by its tall leaves and large, deep-yellow (lowers. It
is also established in a few places in the Eastern United States. The stinking iris (Iris Nitna) a specie; with livid purple (lowers and ill-smelling leaves, is very abundant in the south of England, but doe; not extend far north. The flowers of most of the species are beautiful. Some of them have received much nttention from florists, particularly Iris .riphium, sometimes called Spanish iris; Iris siphioides. or English iris; and Iris germanica, or common iris, all European corm-rooted species. and the Japanese irises, which probably are well referable to Iris iferigata. Many fine varieties have been duced. The Persian iris (Iris persica) is lightfully fragrant ; the snake's-head iris (Iris toberosa) and the Chaleedonian iris (Iris (Ina) arc also much esteemed. The roots of all these species are annually exported in siderable quantities from Holland. Many other species are of frequent occurrence in gardens, such as Iris retieulata and Iris fusca. The fresh rootstocks of Iris corns are very acid. Those of Iris florentina, Iris !militia, and Iris germaniea are orris-root Sonic species have edible rootstocks. Iris vet-Rico/or, the large blue flag, is common in wet places through the United States as far west as Minnesota ninl Arkansas. Iris eristata is a dwarf midi fragrant flowers f0111111 in several and Iris Anna and Iris la custris are other dwarf .\ meriean species, all of which are cultivated as border plants to a con siderable extent. :see IIIIDACE.F. and accompany ing Colored Plates.