IRIS
Also called the wild iris, this plant predominates throughout much of the West. In appearance it looks a lot like your common iris: long, smooth spear-shaped leaves and adorned with a light lavender or bluish-purple flower just a tad smaller in size than your garden varieties. Also known as blue flag, it is a sociable plant, preferring to grow in bunches rather than by itself. Named in honor of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, the many-hued irises are among the most colorful of flowers and have long been a mainstay in perennial gardens. Blue flag is one of many wild irises native to eastern North America. Blue flag was so named by early settlers because of its close resemblance to a common European species, the yellow flag, which was the model for the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of French royalty. Blue flag has also been known as the liver lily, because its dried and powdered rhizomes were traditionally believed to be an excellent remedy for impurities of the blood and diseases of the liver. Other uses in folk medicine included the treatment of skin diseases, rheumatism, and syphilis. No one, however, prized blue flag more than American Indians, some of whom regarded it as a virtual panacea. One of their uses for it, not adopted by the white man, was as a poultice for treating sores and bruises. Certain tribes are said to have planted blue flag near their villages to ensure a convenient supply. WARNING: The rhizomes of blue flag can be dangerously toxic, as is indicated by one of its other names, poison flag. Blue flag is currently used mainly to detoxify the body. Blue flag increases urination and bile production, and has a mild laxative effect. This combination of cleansing action makes it a useful herb for chronic skin diseases such as acne and eczema, especially where gallbladder problems or constipation contribute to the condition. Blue flag is also given for biliousness and indigestion. In small doses, blue flag relieves nausea and vomiting. However, in large doses blue flag will cause vomiting. Blue flag is used traditionally for glandular problems.
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