Columbia Encyclopedia

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elecampane

(Encyclopedia)elecampane ĕlˌəkămpānˈ [key], hardy Old World herb, Inula helenium, of the family Asteraceae (aster family), naturalized in America and sometimes cultivated in gardens. It has showy yellow-rayed...

coneflower

(Encyclopedia)coneflower, name for several American wildflowers of the family Asteraceae (aster family). The purple coneflowers (genus Echinacea), found E of the Rockies, have purple to pinkish petallike rays; some...

alder

(Encyclopedia)alder ôlˈdər [key], name for deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Alnus of the family Betulaceae (birch family), widely distributed, especially in mountainous and moist areas of the north temper...

columbine, in botany

(Encyclopedia)columbine kŏlˈəmbīn [key], any plant of the genus Aquilegia, temperate-zone perennials of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), popular both as wildflowers and as garden flowers. Columbines...

chamomile

(Encyclopedia)chamomile or camomile both: kămˈəmīlˌ, –mēlˌ [key] [Gr.,=ground apple], name for various related plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), especially the perennial Anthemis nobilis, the...

clematis

(Encyclopedia)clematis klĕmˈətĭs, kləmătˈĭs [key], any plant of the large genus Clematis (sometimes subdivided into three or four genera), widely distributed herbs or vines of the family Ranunculaceae (butt...

elk

(Encyclopedia)elk, name applied to several large members of the deer family. It most properly designates the largest member of the family, Alces alces, found in the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. In...

huckleberry

(Encyclopedia)huckleberry, any plant of the genus Gaylussacia, shrubs of the family Ericaceae (heath family), native to North and South America. The box huckleberry (G. brachycera) of E North America is evergreen a...

horse-radish

(Encyclopedia)horse-radish, perennial herb (Armoracia rusticana, but sometimes classified in other genera) of the family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae; mustard family), native to central and S Europe (where it has lo...

Hamilton, John Hamilton, 1st marquess of

(Encyclopedia)Hamilton, John Hamilton, 1st marquess of, 1532–1604, Scottish nobleman; second son of James Hamilton, 2d earl of Arran. He was in his earlier years hostile to Mary Queen of Scots, but he later becam...