Lírio
Vernacular name in Madeira for cultivated irises, chiefly Iris biflora, and also for Reseda luteola, a common plant used locally as a yellow dye.
This name is given to all the Iridaceae of the genus Iris cultivated in Madeira. Iris biflora, which comes from Portugal and is easily recognised by its large white or purple flowers, is the commonest plant of the genus.
Madeirans also give the name lírio to Reseda luteola, a plant of the family Resedaceae that is very common on the island. This plant contains a yellow colouring principle, which Madeirans customarily use by gathering the plants in flower and boiling them with whatever they wish to dye. The dyed article is finally put through a lye wash made with ash.
The lírio should be gathered shortly after flowering, once some of the seeds are already ripe.
In this article
Place
Places mentioned · 01
- Portugal
Country of origin of Iris biflora.
Portugal, the mother country of Madeira. The Elucidário notes that artillery detachments were sent from the mainland to garrison Madeira before 1877, that Madeira was linked to Portugal by telegraph cable in 1874, and that woad and gifts of honey were formerly sent there from the island. Mainland oranges and olives are compared favourably with those of Madeira and Porto Santo.