The genus Iris is named for the obedient and glittering messenger goddess of Greek and Roman Poetry. Iris is the winged daughter of a Titan and a sea nymph. She used the rainbow to run from heaven and Earth
There re more than 300 different species of Irises. To identify an Iris species, the genus was divided into sections according to differences in roots , leaf and even floral characteristics. The Iris shows much color variations as you can see when buying different species seeds. In Fact, some Iris flowers produce colors that you cannot find in white light refracted by raindrop prisms. Red and orange irises are rare in the species.
There is even a species of Irises pollinated by the hummingbird. There are 1800 different species worldwide. There is even an ancient association between Native Iris plants and the most complex civilizations of the Mediterranean basin . The blossoms of the purple and bluish irises were associated with the early art and religious beliefs of the Greece, Egyptian dynasties and the Minoan Crete
There is so much to learn about a single flower or plant. There was even a whitener for teeth in the fourth century written in Greek which was dried iris flowers, rock salt, mint and black pepper.
Until tomorrow…