Iris japonica

Iris japonica, commonly known as the Japanese iris, is a versatile perennial cherished in traditional medicine across East Asia. Renowned for its striking foliage and delicate blooms, this plant offers significant therapeutic potential, particularly in treating inflammation and skin ailments through its unique bioactive compounds and natural healing properties.

  • Scientific name: Iris japonica
  • Family: Iridaceae
  • Native range: Europe

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Asparagales and the family Iridaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Iris.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Asparagales WCVP
Family Iridaceae WCVP
Genus Iris WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Iris japonica, is referred to by various common names depending on the region and language. In Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), Cantonese (zh-hk), and Singaporean Mandarin (zh-sg), it is widely known as 蝴蝶花. In Mainland China, specifically under the zh-cn code, it is also commonly identified as 日本鸢尾.
Language Common Name Source
zh-hans 蝴蝶花 Wikidata
zh-hant 蝴蝶花 Wikidata
zh-hk 蝴蝶花 Wikidata
zh-cn 日本鸢尾 Wikidata
zh-sg 蝴蝶花 Wikidata
zh-tw 日本鳶尾 Wikidata
ja シャガ Wikidata
ru Ирис японский Wikidata
he אירוס יפני Wikidata
fr Iris du Japon Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several distinct regions. In Europe, its presence can be noted in Italy within the southeastern portion of the continent. Moving toward the Indian Ocean, it is found on the island of Réunion. Its range also extends extensively throughout China, including the North-Central and South-Central regions. Furthermore, the species is specifically documented in the southern province of Hainan.

Region Area Source
Southeastern Europe Italy WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Réunion WCVP
China China South-Central WCVP
China Hainan WCVP
China China North-Central WCVP
China Qinghai WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
Eastern Asia Japan WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP

Chemicals

Iris japonica has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include sugar.

Total chemicals
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
sugar 1 ★☆☆☆☆