File:The aquarium (1894) (19123808514).jpg

Title: The aquarium
Identifier: aquarium3321894mule (find matches)
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Mulertt, Hugo
Subjects: Aquarium animals; Aquarium fishes; Aquariums
Publisher: Brooklyn, N. Y. : H. Mulertt
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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124 THE AQUAEIUM, JULY, 1894. especially in early spring; and, also, to induce new buds or shoots to break out at the side of the old rhizome, and form a large clump or cluster, but which, in time, separates into distinct plants. These, like the stock of a hardy shrub, remain dormant through the winter, or, in the language of botany, are per- ennial, and are usually seen in short, knotty sections, representing its period of growth. The leaves of the Iris are very little understood, except by botanists, for in place of one surface facing up (towards the sky) and the other down (towards the ground) as is usual, or one surface facing the right and the other the left, -as in some of the Acacias, etc.; in the Iris the leaf is linear, or sword- shaped, and erect; but "each leaf is formed and folded together lengthwise, so that what would be the upper sur- face is within, and all grown together except next the bottom, where each leaf covers the next younger one. It was from their straddling over each other, like a man on horseback, that Linna?us, with his lively fancy, called these equi- tant leaves."—Gray's Lessons. The flowers are erect, usually from a spathaceous bract of two or more leaves, produced, usually, singly in succession, each one opening but once. They are fertilized by the aid of insects. The L-is, although not contributing directly to the support of the human family, except in a limited sense, has added its mite towards the comforts and luxuries, usually of semi-civilized people in different portions of the world. The tuberous or bulbous rhizomas contain, in addition to the saccharine matter, a small portion of a fatty and acrid mat- ter, together with a peculiar volatile oil which gives them stimulating proper- ties. Some species lose their acridity by drying or boiling, and are then used as food, especially by the Hottentots, of South Africa, where it is called oenkjes, and has nearly the same taste as our potato. In its growing state, no ani- mal will eat the leaves except goats, but when cut and dried like hay, cattle will quite readily eat it. The roots, how- ever, are quite extensively utilized in different jjortions of the world. The
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Yellow Flag—(Iris pseudacorus.) old and well known violet perfume, Orris Eoot," is the product of the beautiful white-flowered species, Iris florentitia, which was also at one time quite extensively used in flavoring or toning liquors. The blue perinth of Iris Germamca, crushed and mixed with lime, yields the Iris Green" of paint- ers. Finally the seed of Iris psned- acorus are a well known substitute for

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