Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

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...

frostweed

(Encyclopedia)frostweed or frostwort, North American woodland flowers (Helianthemum canadense and sometimes other related species) of the family Cistaceae (rockrose family). In cold weather, crystals of ice shoot f...

flowering almond

(Encyclopedia)flowering almond, name for several species of ornamental shrubs of the genus Prunus, of the family Rosaceae (rose family), chiefly those which also include the true almond, peach, plum, cherry, and ap...

beggarweed

(Encyclopedia)beggarweed or tick trefoil, leguminous plant (Desmodium purpureum) native to the West Indies and sown in the S United States for green manure and for forage; it has high nutritive value and is palatab...

New Zealand spinach

(Encyclopedia)New Zealand spinach, succulent annual (Tetragonia expansa) of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and S South America, grown for the edible leaves. The plant grows prostrate, often spreading to cover sever...

cauliflower

(Encyclopedia)cauliflower kôˈlĭflouˌər, kälˈĭ– [key], variety of cabbage, with an edible head of condensed flowers and flower stems. Broccoli is the horticultural variety (botrytis); both were cultivated ...

burnet

(Encyclopedia)burnet, hardy perennial herb of the family Rosaceae (rose) found in temperate regions, usually with white or greenish flowers. The European species are sometimes cultivated for the leaves, which are u...

burning bush

(Encyclopedia)burning bush, name for a North American plant of the family Celastraceae (staff tree family). The scriptural burning bush not consumed by fire (Ex. 3.2) is sometimes associated with a bramble or thorn...

waterleaf

(Encyclopedia)waterleaf, common name for the Hydrophyllaceae, a family of herbs and some shrubs, widely distributed but especially abundant in W and SW North America. Best known in the United States are the waterle...