IRIS is a flowering plant that has been commonly confused with the lily. Some botanists think that the “lilies of the field” in the biblical lands were irises, and one of the names for the older garden irises means lily.

In Egypt the iris was regarded with reverence. It is named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The Moslems, invading Europe, took along plants of a white iris from Arabia to plant on the graves of their dead. It has grown wild ever since in the countries of their conquest long ago flower loving peoples carried other kinds of ones with them in their travels; so it is difficult to tell where in the Old World they grew originally.

Instead of being related to the lily, the iris is a member of a quite different family. Its family also includes the gladiolus, the crocus, and the freesia. The species and other “wild types” of his number more than 200, native to lands north of the Equator. In general, they have flat upright leaves, and flowers with three outer brightly colored sepals, which spread or droop, and three inner petals which in some forms stand upright The bulbous class is represented by the so-called Spanish, Dutch, and English irises. Their blooms are firm in texture, and are not too fragile to be handled in florists’ shops. They with creeping rootstocks are represented by the groups that are familiar in gardens. The bearded irises have hair like brushes, or beards, on their sepals. There are also beardless varieties. “German” irises, none of which came originally from Germany, are an example of the bearded group; and Siberian and Japanese irises, the beardless. Other groups are those of the “cushion” irises, native to the Near East and Egypt, and that of the crested irises, one of which is the famous roof iris of Japan, and another which is an American species. Nearly all American wild irises, such as the common blue flag of marshy places and the dainty California irises are beardless.

Although irises are so little grown for florists, a few have commercial value otherwise; Iris root consists of dried and ground rootstocks of the Florentine and two other European irises. It has long been used in medicine, and is still an ingredient of toilet preparations. The fragrant flowers of the pallid iris are grown in southern Europe as a field crop for the making of perfumery. In the main, however, cultivated irises are garden flowers, grown by amateurs.

The ordinary iris season lasts nearly three months. In the latitude of New York City it opens late in April, when the dwarf bearded irises begin blooming. These are jaunty little flowers, white, yellow, or violet, on stalks 3 to 12 inches tall. In May, as their bloom wanes, the intermediates begin. These also are bearded, and come in the same colors, but are considerably larger and taller. Some of them are hybrids between dwarf and tall varieties or species. Others are types of the iris botanically misnamed germanica. Late in May, when the great tall bearded section begins to bloom, the iris garden becomes a carnival of virtually all the colors that are known among flowers.

At the height of the blooming of the tall bearded varieties, the Siberian irises join in, and late in June, before the last of either have faded, the first Japanese irises open. These are majestic, with broad, soft flowers poised on slender stems. They were patiently developed by old Japan’s gardeners from one medium-sized Far Eastern species.

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HEATH. The word heathen originally meant one who lived on the heath, a term commonly applied to uncultivated land covered with low shrubs. The name heath was given also to any plant growing on the heath, but it is used botanically only for the species of the heath family, the Ericaceae.

Heaths, dunes, and moors have a similar origin and are made up of closely related plants. The shrubs known as heath have small evergreen leaves and bell-shaped four-petal flowers. The common ling, or heather, is the heath that covers the moors and heaths of Great Britain and much of the Continent. It has flowers of a lilac-rose color, rarely white, which grow in spikes. Beehives are carried to the moors during heather blooming time, since the little flowers produce an abundance of honey.

When tender, the plant is used as fodder. Mixed with oak bark, it is used in tanning. Its larger stems are used for brooms. Its small ones are tied into bundles for brushes, while the shoots may be woven into baskets. Heather when decomposed helps to form the peat commonly used for fuel in Europe. It is not this heather but two other species which produce the heather bells of Scottish song and story. There are about 500 species of heath, but none is native to North America. Some African species, however, are widely grown in greenhouses.

HELIOTROPE is any plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium. The name is given also to one species (V. officianalis), called the garden heliotrope, of the genus Valeriana.

More than 220 species of Heliotropium are known. They are all small, herblike or shrub like plants that grow from one to four feet high. They have oval or oblong shaped leaves. Their fragrant flowers, which appear in summer, may be white, violet, or blue. In all the species, the flowers grow in one-sided clusters that face the sun. The plant’s name comes from the Greek words Helios, meaning sun, and Tropos, meaning turn.

Heliotropes are found in temperate and warm climates throughout the world. Several species have been introduced into the United States and grow along the Atlantic Coast and throughout most of the southern states. The common heliotrope (H. arborescens) is popular with florists because of its delicate fragrance. Perfume is sometimes made from various species of heliotrope.

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GENTIAN is any of about 400 species of herbs that make up the genus Gentiana.

These plants are supposed to have been named after Gentius, long of ancient Illyria. When the king was ill the root of a yellow wild flower was brought to him. He drank the bitter juices of the root and was cured.

This yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea) grows on the slopes of the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Apennine mountains in Europe. It reaches height of three to four feet. Its roots are still used in the manufacture of medicine. Many species of gentian are found all over the world except in Africa. The blue, or Alpine, gentian (C. acaulis) is a small plant found in great abundance on high mountain slopes of Europe. Their masses of blue blossoms form a beautiful sight in midsummer.

The bottle, or closed, gentian (G. andrewsii) and the fringed gentian (g. crinita) grow in moist spots in the United States. The latter is one of the most beautiful of all wild flowers, but because it has been picked too extensively, it is now quite rare.

In England and the United States, gentians are cultivated as garden flowers, but are often difficult to grow well. The various species bloom from midsummer to early autumn.

GARDENIA is a plant of the family Rubiaceae. The Cape jasmine, or florist’s gardenia, is raised in China for its fruit, which produces a yellow dye. In the East Indies, another species is valuable for a gum which exudes from its bark. In South Africa, two species are prized for their strong, hard wood. Although none of the many species of gardenia is native to the United States, the plant was named for an American naturalist, Alexander Garden. In the Americas and Europe, gardenias are grown for their beautiful waxy blossoms, which are very fragrant. The flowers somewhat resemble those of the camellia. They are dainty and may be double or single, ivory while or lemon yellow. They offer a striking contrast against the shiny evergreen foliage.

Since gardenias are natives of tropical countries, in cultivation they require plenty of heat and moisture, and are usually grown in green-houses. In greenhouses gardenias are usually grown from cuttings. A few varieties are raised outdoors in the southern United States.

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　　Flax is a plant raised for its fiber and seed. The fiber is made into linen fabric and a variety of other products, including rope, thread, and high-quality paper. The seeds contain linseed oil, which is used primarily in the production of paints and varnishes. There are about 220 species of flax. Only one species, Linum usitatissimum, is grown commercially. Different varieties of this species are grown for fiber and for seed.

The flax plant stands from 3.1 to 4.3 feet (0.89 to 1.3 meters) high and has either white or Uses of Flowers. The variety grown for fiber has a slender stem that branches near the top. Seed flax is bushier than fiber flax and bears more seeds.

Flax may be attacked by a number of fungus diseases; these diseases include rust, wilt, and pasmo. Before planting flax, farmers treat the seeds with chemicals called fungicides to provide protection against these diseases. Farmers also plant varieties of flax that are resistant to disease.

World production of fiber flax amounts to about 760,000 short tons (710,000 metric tons) annually. Before its breakup, the Soviet Union accounted for more than half the world’s fiber flax production. Other leading growers included France, China, Romania, and Poland, in that order. The United States and Canada do not raise fiber flax

World flaxseed production totals about 110 million bushels or 2,700,000 short tons (2,400,000 metric tons) yearly. Leading flaxseed-producing countries, in order of production, include Canada, Argentina, India, and China.

Growing and processing fiber flax. Fiber flax grows best in cool, moist climates with rainy summers. It is planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. It is generally grown in rotation with other crops. Rotation helps reduce the effects of diseases.

Fiber flax is harvested three to four months after planting. If the plants are harvested too early, the fibers will be fine and silky, but weak. If the plants become too ripe, the fibers will be stiff and rough and difficult to spin into yarn. Farmers harvest fiber flax with a machine that pulls the stalks from the ground. On some farms, workers harvest flax by hand.

　　FENNEL. In ancient times it was thought that fennel had wonderful power to give strength and courage. Wreaths of fennel were awarded the victors in athletic contests. Fennel was mixed with the food of the Roman gladiators to make them strong and brave.

At present the different varieties of fennel serve less warlike purposes. The flat aromatic seed pods are used to flavor candy, liqueurs, and medicines. The leaves and stems are used to season soups and sauces and are also eaten as a salad. One type has the leaf bases greatly thickened similar to celery. When cooked it has a pleasing, aromatic flavor. Oil extracted from one variety, the sweet fennel, is used in making soaps and perfumes. All varieties have fine needlelike leaves resembling those of the carrot and flat heads of small yellow flowers. Most varieties are about four feet high. The giant fennel, whose pithy stems are used for tinder often, reaches a height of 12 feet. The plant belongs to the parsley family, and probably grew originally in southern Europe. It is now cultivated in many warm countries and grows wild in the southern United States.

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Easter lily is a flower’s that has become a sign of Easter. The Easter lily is a tall plant with long, pointed leaves. The large, fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers are a waxy white color.

Easter lilies grow throughout the world. American florists formerly grew the Madonna lily of southern Europe. Its periods of blooming, however, are not regular.

The Easter lily has long, pointed leaves and large, white blossoms. It is often used as a decoration at Easter.

New kinds of Easter lilies have been brought to America from China, Japan, and Bermuda. The Bermuda Easter lily blooms early. The Chinese and Japanese lilies are the hardiest flowers. These lilies bloom outdoors in June or July. Florists can force Chinese and Japanese lilies to bloom just before Easter by growing them in greenhouses.

EVERLASTING is any one of a number of plants whose flowers keep both their color and shape long after they have been picked and dried. Most of them belong to the composite family. Some of them, such as the globe amaranth, belong to the amaranth family. The wild pearly everlasting grows in North America. It is a small plant found on sunny, dry hillsides and in open woods. Its straight, leafy stems are covered with soft wool. Its flowers grow in many branched clusters. In southern France great quantities of immortelles, another type of everlasting, are grown. These are woven into wreaths for decorations or winter ornaments. Immortelle flowers are deep yellow, but they can be bleached white or dyed in different colors.

Other kinds of everlastings are found under the name of strawflower. This name is given because of the straw like blossoms. They are often an inch or more across. If picked before fully mature and dried, they may appear fresh for a year or more. There is an Australian everlasting which bears both single and double flowers that vary in color. The everlasting of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, has silky white flowers.

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