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The Roof iris (Iris tectorum) belongs to Iridaceae (the Iris family). It is an evergreen perennial herb that is distributed in central to southwestern China and northern Burma. It was introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867). It prefers dry, semi-shaded areas and grows 30-60 cm tall. The leaves are 3 to 4 cm wide and characterized by a cock's comb-like projection at the base of the outer tepals. It produces purple flowers from April to May. In the past, it was planted on straw roofs because it was believed to protect them from heavy winds. In Chinese, it is called "鳶尾" (yuan wei). The Japanese name "一初" (Ichi-hatsu) comes from the fact that it is the first of the irises to bloom.
In Korean, it's called "yeon-mi-but-kkot" (연미붓꽃). This is a compound word formed from "black kite's tail" (yeon-mi: 연미) and "iris" (but-kkot: 붓꽃). It was created by combining the kanji character "鳶尾" with the Hangul word "but-kkot" (iris). Incidentally, "but-kkot" comes from the fact that the shape of the bud resembles a brush (but: 붓) that has absorbed plenty of ink.
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