Crossword Genius

French flower I have knowledge about (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

loire

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'french' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Current French' mean 'loire' so perhaps 'french' could also mean 'loire')

'flower i have knowledge about' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'flower' could be 'r' (abbreviation) and 'r' is found in the answer.
'i' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'loe' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for loire that I've seen before include "flower found amid vineyards" , "French department" , "French runner" , "part of France" , "French river (Orleans, Tours, Nantes)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian and The Globe and Mail.
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