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Showing posts with the label botanical history

Carol Klein's Plant Odysseys - Iris ep.3

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Four-part series in which Carol Klein explores the inner secrets and botanical history of four of our favourite garden plants: the rose, the tulip, the iris and the water lily. Part 3 : Iris  The third leg of Carol's odyssey takes her on a journey from England to Turkey, to Italy and home again, discovering the intricate biology of the iris flower and its cultural significance to mankind over thousands of years. Carol takes a close-up look into the intimate relationship between bees and irises and, under the guidance of an evolutionary plant biologist, uses an endoscopic camera to reveal how an insect with UV vision sees each iris flower. Carol Klein's Plant Odysseys - Iris ep.3 Carol travels to mainland Europe, learning of the importance of some iris species in the funeral traditions of Islam and the use of irises in perfume manufacture in Florence. Discover how a 'beard' changed this beautiful flower's fortunes in horticulture, and why such a peculi