Iris florentina
| Iris florentina | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Subfamily: | Iridoideae |
| Tribe: | Irideae |
| Genus: | Iris |
| Subgenus: | Iris |
| Species: | Iris florentina |
| Binomial name | |
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Iris florentina L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Iris filifolia 'Florentina' |
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Iris filifolia 'Florentina'
Iris florentina is the white flowered variant of Iris germanica now classified as Iris germanica nothovar. florentina. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions almost worldwide. It is also grown to produce orris-root, a scented substance used in perfumes, soaps, tooth cleanser, clothes washing powder. Medicinally it was also used as an expectorant and decongestant. It is made from the rhizomes of Iris florentina, Iris germanica and Iris pallida.
It is a rhizomatous perennial, from southern Europe, mainly Italy (including the city of Florence), and France. It has a thick, violet scented rhizome, sword-like, green or grey-green leaves, that are semi-evergreen, a tall branched stem, many flowers that are white and tinged, or flushed with blue, or pale blue, or lavender in spring or summer. It also has a white and yellow beard.
Iris florentina has a thick, or stout rhizome, Which is short, fleshy, horizontal, and has a strong, violet scent. The rhizomes spread across the surface of the soil, to form clumps of plants. This habit can often create a dense network of fibrous roots, that can crowd out other plants.
It has basal (rising up from the rhizome), ensiform (sword-shaped), light green, pale green, or grey-green leaves. They are semi-evergreen, or evergreen (in mild winters). The leaves can grow up to between 30–70 cm (12–28 in) long, and between 2.5–4 cm (1–2 in)wide. They are shorter than the stem.
It has a straight, stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 38–100 cm (15–39 in) tall. It may reach up to 75–100 cm (30–39 in) after about 3 years. Although it may reach 121 cm (48 in), (in ideal conditions). The stems have 2 - 4 branches. The branches reduce in size as you go up the stem, starting from the middle. The branches can be long, when compared to Iris albicans (another white flowered iris sometimes called Iris florentina subsp. albicans (Lange) K.Richt.),
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Wikipedia