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broom

(Encyclopedia)broom, common name for plants of two closely related and similar Old World genera, Cytisus and Genista, of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). They are mostly twiggy leguminous shrubs with abundant...

ragweed

(Encyclopedia)ragweed, any plant of the genus Ambrosia, coarse, weedy herbs belonging to the family Asteraceae (aster family), most of which are native to America. They have inconspicuous greenish flowers and soft ...

rain tree

(Encyclopedia)rain tree, also called monkeypod, a large leguminous tropical tree (Albizia saman or Samanea saman) of tropical America belonging to the family Leguminosae (pulse family), the leaves of which fold tog...

sainfoin

(Encyclopedia)sainfoin sānˈfoin [key] [Fr.,=holy hay], leguminous perennial herb (Onobrychis viciaefolia) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) indigenous in S Europe and in temperate W Asia. Sainfoin has for ...

brazilwood

(Encyclopedia)brazilwood, common name for several trees of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) whose wood yields a red dye. The dye has largely been replaced by synthetic dyes for fabrics, but it is still used in...

coleus

(Encyclopedia)coleus kōˈlēəs [key], common name for a genus of plants with large colorful leaves native to tropical Asia and Africa. Several species are grown as ornamentals. Plants of the genus Coleus are in t...

pink

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Deptford pink, Dianthus armeria pink, common name for some members of the Caryophyllaceae, a family of small herbs found chiefly in north temperate zones (especially the Mediterranean area) bu...

composition, in ancient and medieval law

(Encyclopedia)composition, in ancient and medieval law, a sum of money paid by a guilty party as satisfaction to the family of the person who was injured or killed. Failure to make the payment might justify retalia...

hemlock

(Encyclopedia)hemlock, any tree of the genus Tsuga, coniferous evergreens of the family Pinaceae (pine family) native to North America and Asia. The common hemlock of E North America is the eastern hemlock, T. cana...

gourami

(Encyclopedia)gourami go͞oräˈmē [key], tropical freshwater fish of the labyrinth fish suborder. Like other members of that suborder, gouramis have a labyrinthine breathing apparatus connected to each gill chamb...