Iris foetidissima

Dodoens over Stinkende iris

Wantluyscruyt heeft langhe smalle bladeren/ den bladeren van Lisch over zee van fatsoene ghelijck maer veel mindere van coluer doncker gruen/ van ruecke onliefelijck stinckende ende schier ghelijck die wantluysen rieckende. Die stelen sijn ront ende daer op wassen die bloemen den Lischbloemen ghelijck maer mindere ende aschverwich grauw van coluere. Ende als die vergaen zoo comen daer groote hauwen voort/ daer in ront saet wast/ elck saet schier ghelijck een ronde erwte groot. Die wortel is langhachtich met veel aenhanghende faselachtighe wortelkens.

Cracht ende werckinghe

A Tsaet van Wantluyscruyt een half vierendeel loots swaer ghedroncken doet sterckelijck dwater ende die urine lossen/ ende met azijn inghenomen verteeret ende gheneest die verherde ende verstopte milten.

B Die wortel van Wantluyscruyt met wat Spaens gruens/ ende wat van die wortel van groot Centaurum/ ende luttel huenichs vermenght/ treckt alle doornen/ splinters/ ende ghebroken beenderen uut/ ende dient seer wel op die wonden ende blutsinghen des hoofts gheleyt om die ghebroken beenderen uut te trecken.

C Die selve wortel met azijn vermenght doet die coude vergaderinghen ende ghezwellen sceyden daer op gheleyt.

D Dit cruyt veriaeght ende doodet oock die wantluysen/ alsmen met den sap daer af die plaetsen bestrijckt daer die wandtluysen groeyen.

Iris foetidissima (Stinking Iris, Gladdon, Gladwin Iris, Roast-beef Plant, Stinking Gladwin), is a species of Iris found in open woodland, hedgebanks and sea-cliffs.Its natural range is Western Europe, including England south of Durham and also Ireland, and from France south and east to N. Africa, Italy and Greece.

Stinking Iris

It is one of two iris species native to Britain, the other being the Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus). Its flowers are usually of a dull, leaden-blue colour, or dull buff-yellow tinged with blue; the capsules, which remain attached to the plant throughout the winter, are 5-8 cm long; and the seeds scarlet.

It is known as "stinking" because some people find the smell of its leaves unpleasant when crushed or bruised, an odour that has been described as "beefy".

Nicholas Culpeper, calling it `Stinking Gladwin', described the leaves as having "a strong, ill scent". In his English translation of Rembert Dodoens's A New Herbal, Henry Lyte, calling it `Stinking Gladin', pulled no punches. He said that the leaves were "of a lothsome smell or stinke, almost like unto the stinking worme, called in Latine Cimex".