Tulips
The tulip came to Europe from rainless regions of Central Asia. Omar Khayyam mentioned it in his poems. The name “tulip” derives from the Persian “toliban” which means “turban”. The tulips have greatly affected the European economy, in the Netherlands tulip bulbs were even traded on the exchanges. According to legends, it is believed that happiness can be found in the buds of a yellow tulip, that’s why a bouquet of tulips from our professional florists brings good mood and fortune. It’s curious, that almost 10 milliards of tulips are exported from the Netherlands every year.
Irises
Irises have been known since Ancient Egyptian’s wall paintings, it’s also depicted on the brow of the Sphinx. It’s been named after the Greek rainbow goddess, Iris. The plant came from Southeast Asia. In Japanese language the hieroglyph “iris” is a homonym to “victory”. The juice of the fresh roots of the Iris has strong curative properties.
It’s curious, that the Iris Nebula in the constellation Cepheus has been named after the flower, because it’s central area resembled an unfolding Iris.