Witnessed by: Unani
Irsa (Iris ensata), of the Iridaceae family. Rhizomatous perennial of wet ground with long sword-shaped leaves and broad flat purple flowers; native range: wet meadows and marshy ground of eastern and central Asia. Globally recognized as irsa in Arabic, bekh-e-banafsha in Persian, irsa in Urdu, and Japanese iris, sword-leaved iris in English. The part used is rhizome. Hard knotty rhizome, faintly aromatic when dried, the taste bitter and acrid.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
IRSA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- irsa
- Scientific name
- Iris ensata Thunb.
- Family
- Iridaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Unani
- bitter · acrid
Temperature
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- liver · spleen · lungs · uterus
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Unani
- mufatteh-e-sudad (deobstruent), muhallil-e-waram (resolvent of swellings), munzij wa mukhrij-e-balgham (ripens and expels phlegm), mudirr-e-baul (diuretic), mudirr-e-haiz (emmenagogue), jali (detergent to the skin)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy; hot temperaments and an irritable stomach
- Toxicity
- the acrid rhizome in large doses irritates the stomach and bowel, bringing nausea, vomiting and griping
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