[Sca-cooks] Iris vs flag vs Orris

[Terry Decker]

Flag describes a plant that has long sword shaped leaves such as irises,
cattails, etc.  It derives from the Middle English "flagge" meaning "reed."
While I haven't seen a statement that they grow from rhizomes, all those of
checked do.  In irises, the term is most commonly used with wild varieties.

Outside of the irises, the flags often (if not always) appear to be march
plants.

Several different species of European iris are used to produce orris root.
Iris germanica was commonly used for this.  Looking at Serena's information,
I suspect that the type of iris used may be a matter of geography.

You are right.  All orris is iris, but not all iris is orris.

Bear



>Not to put too fine a point on it, but irises and flags grow from
>rhizomes, not bulbs. And in my experience growing them and/or seeing
>them in botanical and private gardens, I think "flag" grows in wet
>situations, where the regular old iris from your grandmother's garden
>that you can't kill with dynamite grows in drier ground.
>
>As I recall, Orris root is a specific iris. The toughies in my back yard
>are irises, but are not Orris.
>
>Bear?
>
>MD/Marged