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Iris versicolor

Iris versicolor

8.3
A common iris with blue-violet flowers that grows in eastern North America
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Iris versicolor
  • The beautiful Iris versicolor bloomed along the edge of the pond in early summer.

Examples

  • The root of Iris versicolor was once used in traditional medicine for various ailments.

  • Many gardeners plant Iris versicolor for its striking blue-violet flowers.

  • The Iris versicolor blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Many gardeners love the Iris versicolor for its vibrant color.

  • Many gardeners plant Iris versicolor for its striking blue-violet flowers.

  • The beautiful Iris versicolor bloomed along the edge of the pond in early summer.

  • The root of Iris versicolor was once used in traditional medicine for various ailments.

Synonyms

blue flag
vsIris versicolor
  • US
8.1

A wild iris with blue flowers that grows near ponds and wet meadows

is the scientific botanical name for the same plant

How Blue

Iris versicolor
  • Specialized
8.3
Iris pallida
  • Specialized
8.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

iris + versicolor

Iris versicolor is a Linnaean binomial (genus + species), so a learner who knows 'iris' and that 'versicolor' functions as a species epithet can infer it names a particular kind of iris (a type of flower). However, the precise sense (‘blue/blue‑violet flowers’ and former medicinal use) and the Latin epithet's specific meaning are not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so the relation is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Iris versicolor gets its name from Iris, a Greek word for 'rainbow', and versicolor, a Latin word meaning 'different colors'. So the name remembers the flower's blue and violet shades that seem to change color, and it also points to the plant once being used for simple medicines.