Iris : botanic and genetic
1. Botanic (1–3)
Iris is a genus of flowering plants whose botanical classification is described in the table below :
|
Kingdom |
Plantae – Plantes |
|
Class |
Liliopsida – Monocotyledons |
|
Order |
Liliales |
|
Family |
Iridaceae |
|
Genus |
Iris |
This genus contains about 230 accepted species including Iris pallida Lam, the pale iris.
In France, the nursery la pépinière des Avettes4) is the owner of the national collection (Conservatoire des Collections Végétales Spécialisées5)).
2. History
Iris is a word of Greek origin designating the messenger of the gods, personification of the rainbow. And indeed, the iris can be found in almost every color of the rainbow.
3. Application
Iris essential oil is widely used in high-end perfumes, cosmetics and soaps6). In traditional pharmacopoeias, Iris is used for its astringent, diuretic, expectorant properties.
4. Genetic identification
The DNA of these plants allows us to identify them. Thanks to the barcoding and metabarcoding technologies used by DNA Gensee, the authentication of raw materials or the detection of the plant in a mixture, extract or product is possible. Contact us for more information.
5. References
1) “Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.”: http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb
2) “Iris — The Plant List.”:http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000019189
3) “Iris (Iridaceae) – Wikispecies.”: https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Iris_(Iridaceae)
4) “Un peu plus sur la pépinière… – Pépinière des Avettes, de la fleur au miel – plantes de collection et produits de la ruche, jardin botanique.”: http://www.pepinieredesavettes.com/pepiniere/un-peu-plus-sur-la-pepiniere
5) “Page d’accueil.”: http://www.ccvs-france.org
6) Fernandez X., Chemat F., Do T., “Les huiles essentielles: Vertus et applications,” Vuibert, 2014.
