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Iris lactea
Iris lactea is a species in the genus Iris. It is also in the subgenus Limniris and is the only species in the series Ensatae. The Japanese water iris, Iris ensata, is actually in series Laevigatae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from central Asia, with pale blue or violet flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Since Iris lactea, is one of the most common wild irises across all of China, living it a diverse range of habitats. It is very tolerant of most garden conditions.
It is hardy to USDA Zones 3–9.
Iris lactea comes from wide range of areas. It is native to temperate and tropical regions of Asia.
It is widely grown throughout China, where it is often used as an ingredient in a herbal contraceptive. It has also been used in the anti-cancer drug 'Irisquinone', which comes from a herbal remedy. The rhizomes are also used in traditional oriental medicine, including Tibet.
Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata · Iris acutiloba · Iris adriatica · Iris afghanica · Iris alberti · Iris albomarginata · Iris alexeenkoi · Single Bract Iris · Iris antilibanotica · Stool iris · Iris arenaria · Iris assadiana
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris lactea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
