iris family

iris family
the plant family Iridaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants having bulbs, corms, or rhizomes, sword-shaped grasslike leaves, and usually showy flowers, and including the blackberry lily, crocus, freesia, gladiolus, and iris.

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Family Iridaceae, composed of about 1,700 species of perennial herbaceous plants, as well as a few shrubs, in some 80 genera.

It is known for ornamentals such as irises (genus Iris), gladioli (see gladiolus), crocuses, and freesias. Irises have swordlike, smooth leaves and bear showy flowers in a great variety of colours and sizes on a smooth stem. Most abundant and diverse in Africa, they are found nearly worldwide across temperate, subtropical, and tropical zones. The underground stems may be rhizomes (e.g., New World Iris species), bulbs (e.g., southwestern European Iris species), or corms (e.g., Gladiolus).

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Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • iris family — noun large family of usually perennial geophytic herbs with rhizomes or corms or bulbs • Syn: ↑Iridaceae, ↑family Iridaceae • Derivationally related forms: ↑iridaceous (for: ↑Iridaceae) • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • iris family — n. (Botany) Iridaceae, family of perennial geophytic plants with rhizomes or bulbs and corms …   English contemporary dictionary

  • iris family — i′ris fam ily n. pln a family, Iridaceae, of nonwoody plants with showy flowers and with narrow leaves that emerge from bulbs, corms, or rhizomes …   From formal English to slang

  • iris — [ī′ris] n. pl. irises; also for 3, irides [ir′i dēz΄, ī′ridēz΄]; also for 4 & 5, iris [LME < L < Gr iris (gen. iridos) < IE * wir (> WIRE) < base * wei , to turn, bend] 1. a rainbow 2. a rainbowlike show or play of colors 3 …   English World dictionary

  • Iris (plant) — This article is about the Iris plant. For other uses, see Iris (disambiguation). Other plants named iris are found elsewhere in the Iridaceae. Iris Blood Iris (Iris sanguinea), known as ayame in Japan …   Wikipedia

  • iris — /uy ris/, n., pl. irises, irides /ir i deez , uy ri /, v. n. 1. Anat. the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center. See diag. under eye. 2. Bot. any plant… …   Universalium

  • iris — I. noun (plural irises; also irides) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin irid , iris rainbow, iris plant, from Greek, rainbow, iris plant, iris of the eye more at wire Date: 15th century 1. rainbow 2. [New Latin irid , iris, from Greek] a. the… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Iris macrosiphon — Taxobox name = Iris macrosiphon image width = 250px image caption = Bowltube Iris regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Liliopsida ordo = Asparagales familia = Iridaceae subfamilia = Iridoideae tribus = Irideae genus = Iris subgenus …   Wikipedia

  • Iris illyrica — Taxobox name = Iris illyrica regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Liliopsida ordo = Asparagales familia = Iridaceae genus = Iris species = I. illyrica binomial = Iris illyrica binomial authority = Tomm.| date = 1875Iris illyrica is… …   Wikipedia

  • Iris pseudacorus — ID 42277 Symbol Key IRPS Common Name paleyellow iris Family Iridaceae Category Monocot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Introduced to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI …   USDA Plant Characteristics

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