Iris orientalis
Common name
Oriental iris
Family
Iridaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Year naturalised
1951
Origin
Turkey, E. Agean Is, Asia Minor
Etymology
iris: From the Greek iris ‘rainbow’, presumably in reference to the many colours of the flowers (Johnson and Smith, 1986).
orientalis: From the Latin orientale, meaning ‘eastern’ but sometimes also translated as ‘from the Orient’.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.