Common Name: Walking Iris

General Information

Walking iris is an evergreen, stemless, perennial plant with a cluster of leaves arising from small fibrous-coated corms. The flowering stems, which can be 30 - 80cm tall, produce viviparous plantlets at their joints which root and produce new plants when the stem bends over[, ].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use. It is also often grown in gardens as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela; north through the Caribbean to Jamaica; Central America - Guatemala, Mexico.

Habitat

Mostly in dense wet mixed forest at elevations from 200 - 1,600 metres in Guatemala[]. Damp grassy places, mostly on heavy soils, at elevations from 45 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, succeeding in both seasonally dry and all year round wet environments.
Prefers a position in light shade[, ]. Grows best in a well-drained soil[].
The plant sometimes escapes from cultivation and becomes naturalized[].
The plant flowers and fruits all year round[]. Individual flowers only live for one day.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is administered as a domestic remedy for chills[].

The plant is used as a laxative[].
The plant is an effective purgative[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
New plantlets are formed on the flowering stems - the stems eventually droop and, when the plantlets touch the ground they produce roots and become new plants[].

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