Wildflowers of Europe
Iris pseudacorus
| Family : | IRIDACEAE (Iris Family) |
| Common Name (UK) : | Yellow Flag |
| Common Name (DE) : | Wasser-Schwertlilie |
| Common Name (FR) : | Iris des marais |
| Habitat : | common beside rivers, lakes and canals |
| Remarks : | This plant is introduced to the U.S. where it is considered noxious and invasive. "It is also called the Flower de Luce, or Fleur de Lys, being the origin of the heraldic emblem of the Kings of France. The legend is that early in the sixth century, the Frankish King Clovis, faced with defeat in battle, was induced to pray for victory to the god of his Christian wife, Clothilde. He conquered and became a Christian and thereupon replaced the three toads on his banner by three Irises, the Iris being the Virgin's flower. Six hundred years later, it was adopted by Louis VII of France as his heraldic bearings in his Crusade against the Saracens, and it is said that it then became known as Fleur de Louis, corrupted into Fleur de Luce and then into Fleur de Lys or Lis, though another theory for the name is that it was not named Fleur de Lys from Louis, but from the river Lys, on the borders of Flanders, where it was peculiarly abundant." From Botanical.com |
| First appearing : | May |
| Abundance : |
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