Columbia Encyclopedia

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fennel

(Encyclopedia)fennel, common name for several perennial herbs, genus Foeniculum vulgare of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), related to dill. The strawlike foliage and the seeds are licorice-scented and are...

Indian pipe

(Encyclopedia)Indian pipe, common name for the genus Monotropa and for the family Monotropaceae, low flowering plants of north temperate zones. They are chlorophylless saprophytes with a funguslike appearance. Each...

henbane

(Encyclopedia)henbane or black henbane, herb (Hyoscyamus niger) native to the Mediterranean region and naturalized in parts of North America. It belongs to the family Solanaceae (nightshade family) and contains a n...

hepatica

(Encyclopedia)hepatica hĭpătˈĭkə [key] or liverleaf, any plant of the genus Hepatica of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), low, woodland, spring wildflowers of the north temperate zone, popular for w...

hawkweed

(Encyclopedia)hawkweed, any species of the genus Hieracium of the family Asteraceae (aster family), widely distributed perennials, chiefly of open fields. The small, dandelionlike flower heads are borne in clusters...

hop

(Encyclopedia)hop, herbaceous perennial vine of the family Moraceae (mulberry family), widely cultivated since early times for brewing purposes. The commercial hop (Humulus lupulus) is native to Eurasia but is now ...

hazel

(Encyclopedia)hazel, any plant of the genus Corylus of the family Betulaceae (birch family), shrubs or small trees with foliage similar to the related alders. They are often cultivated for ornament and for the edib...

angiosperm

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Life cycle of an angiosperm angiosperm ănˈjēəspûrmˌ [key], term denoting seed plants in which the ovules, or young seeds, are enclosed within the ovary (that part of the pistil specializ...

geranium

(Encyclopedia)geranium, common name for some members of the Geraniaceae, a family of herbs and small shrubs of temperate and subtropical regions. Their long, beak-shaped fruits give them the popular names crane's-b...

mayflower, in botany

(Encyclopedia)mayflower, in botany, name for several spring-blooming plants. In England the hawthorn is called mayflower, or may; in North America the name is used for the trailing arbutus, the hepatica, and an her...