Linn.
Family: Iridaceae.
Habitat: In swamps. Native to America and Canada.
English: Blue Flag Root, Liver Lily.
Ayurvedic: Haimavati Vachaa.
Action: Anti-inflammatory, astringent, cholagogue, laxative, diuretic, antiemetic, blood and lymph purifier, alterative for sluggish conditions of liver, gallbladder and glandular system.
Key application: As laxative. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)The rhizomes contain a volatile oil; a glycoside, iridin; acids including salicylic and isophthalic; a monocyclic C31 triterpenoid; sterols, gum, resin. Irisin is the toxic constituent of the resin. It irritates the mucous membrane, liver and pancreas.The drug is contraindicated in pregnancy. The root powder is toxic at 2 g and fluid extract at 3.7 ml.
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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