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meadow beauty

(Encyclopedia)meadow beauty, any plant of the genus Rhexia, herbaceous perennials of wet places E of the Rockies, particularly damp pine barrens and sands along the southeast coast. A widespread species, R. virgini...

wandering jew, in botany

(Encyclopedia)wandering jew, common name for several creeping plants of the genus Tradescantia (including Zebrina) in the spiderwort family. T. pendula is most commonly cultivated in window boxes and hanging pots. ...

broom rape

(Encyclopedia)broom rape, common name for plants of the Orobanchaceae, the broom rape family. They are parasitic on the roots of other plants; they have small leaves and little or no green color. In some species th...

spiderwort

(Encyclopedia)spiderwort, common name for some members of the Commelinaceae, a family of tropical and subtropical succulent herbs found especially in Africa and the Americas. Species of the spiderworts (genus Trade...

calycanthus

(Encyclopedia)calycanthus kălˌĭkănˈthəs [key], any plant of the genus Calycanthus, aromatic shrubs of N North America, Asia, and Australia. An American type, the Carolina allspice, is cultivated for the aroma...

orchard grass

(Encyclopedia)orchard grass or cocksfoot, widely distributed perennial grass (Dactylis glomerata) native to Eurasia and N Africa and extensively naturalized in the United States. It is cultivated as a hay grass mor...

Brussels sprouts

(Encyclopedia)Brussels sprouts, variety (gemmifera) of cabbage producing small edible heads (sprouts) along the stem. It is cultivated like cabbage and was first developed in Belgium and France in the 18th cent. Br...

ribbon grass

(Encyclopedia)ribbon grass, ornamental perennial grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta), a variety of the reed canary grass. It has green leaves striped with white and is often cultivated in gardens; it is also kn...

Hercules'-club

(Encyclopedia)Hercules'-club, common name for several small, thorny trees, chiefly the devil's-walking-stick of the family Aralaceae (ginseng family) and the prickly ash of the family Rutaceae (orange family). The ...

frog's-bit

(Encyclopedia)frog's-bit, common name for members of the Hydrocharitaceae, a family of aquatic herbs found in warm fresh- and saltwaters throughout the world. Most species grow partially or completely submerged, ra...