Witnessed by: Western
Orris (Iris germanica), of the Iridaceae family. Rhizomatous perennial with stiff grey-green sword leaves in a fan and large bearded flowers; native range: of the Mediterranean and southern Europe, long cultivated; the orris trade centred on Tuscany about Florence. Globally recognized as orris, orris root, flag iris, German iris, Florentine iris in English, and giaggiolo in Italian. The part used is rhizome. Peeled rhizomes, hard, white and heavy, faintly and sweetly smelling of violets after long curing; the taste bitterish and acrid. The fresh root is fiercely acrid and burns the mouth.
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.
ORRIS
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- orris
- Scientific name
- Iris germanica L.
- Family
- Iridaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- aromatic · acrid · bitter
Temperature
- Western
- warm
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- mucous membranes · bowels · liver · skin
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- the cured root a mild aromatic and expectorant, and a fixative and perfume; the fresh root acrid — emetic, cathartic and diuretic; errhine when powdered and snuffed
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy; the fresh rhizome should not be taken internally
- Toxicity
- the fresh root is a violent irritant and purge, bringing nausea, vomiting, griping and bloody stools; the powder is a known cause of allergic rhinitis and dermatitis in those who handle it, and the teething sticks of the old nursery are no longer thought safe for infants
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