Thunb.
Family: Iridaceae.
Habitat: Temperate Northwestern Himalaya at 1,500-2,700 m. and from Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh. Often grown in gardens.
Ayurvedic: Paarseeka Vachaa, Haimavati, Shveta Vachaa, Baalbach.
Unani: Irsaa, Sosan, Iris.
Folk: Marjal, Unarjal (Kashmir).
Action: Used in diseases of the liver.
Aerial parts contain xanthone gly- cosides; C-glycoside of apigenin and phenolic acids. Roots contain ceryl alcohol.Natural irones, the main constituent of Orris oil, are obtained from different species of Iris. The laccases, obtained from Iris species and other plants are used in hair cosmetic preparations, as an oxidizing agent in oxidative hair dyes and permanent hair wave-setting compositions. The root extracts of Iris species are used in cosmetic preparations for the prevention of skin roughness and ageing.
Linn.
English: Orris, Iridis Rhizome, German Iris.
Ayurvedic: Paarseeka Vachaa, Haimavati, Shveta Vachaa (also considered as Pushkarmuula), Baal-bach.
Action: Demulcent, antidiarrhoeal, expectorant. Extract of the leaf is used for the treatment of frozen feet.
Key application: In irritable bowel, summer diarrhoea in children, in stubborn cases of respiratory congestion. (Folk medicine.) (Claims negatively evaluated by German Commission E: "blood-purifying," "stomach-strengthening" and "gland-stimulating.")The rhizomes gave triterpenes, beta- sitosterol, alpha-and beta-amyrin and isoflavonoids; an essential oil, about 0.1-2%, known as "Orris butter," consisting of about 85% myristic acid, with irone, ionone, methyl myris- tate. Isoflavonoids include irisolidone, irigenin and iridin. In volatile oil, chief constituents are cis-alpha and cis-gamma-irones. Triterpenes include iridal and irigermanal. Rhizomes also gave xanthones C. glucosylxanthones (Orris root is the root of Iris germanica. In homoeopathy, Iris versicolor is used.)Related species ? I. florentina Linn.; I. pallida Lam.
Habitat: The Himalayas from Garhwal to Arunachal Pradesh at 2,400-3,600 m.
Folk: Karkar, Tezma (Punjab).
Action: Diuretic, spasmolytic, febrifuge; antidote for opium addiction.
The rhizomes contain isoflavones— iridin, iriskumaonin and its methyl ether, irisflorentin, junipegenin A and irigenin.... iris germanica
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