Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

bristlecone pine

(Encyclopedia)bristlecone pine, common name for the pine species Pinus longaeva, found in the White Mountains of California. Specimens have been known to live some 5,000 years. ...

lobelia

(Encyclopedia)lobelia lōbēlˈyə [key], any plant of the genus Lobelia, annual and perennial herbs of tropical and temperate woodlands and moist places. Most lobelias have blue or purple flowers on a long (1–4 ...

kinglet

(Encyclopedia)kinglet, common name for members of a subfamily of five species of Old and New World warblers, similar to the thrushes and the Old World flycatchers. Kinglets are small birds (4 in./10 cm) with soft, ...

king snake

(Encyclopedia)king snake, name for a number of species of the genus Lampropeltis, nonvenomous, egg-laying, constricting snakes of North America which show much variation in color and markings. The common king snake...

nasturtium

(Encyclopedia)nasturtium năstûrˈshəm [key], any plant of the genus Tropaeolum, tropical American herbs (usually climbing) native to mountainous areas of South and Central America. Several species are cultivated...

hellebore

(Encyclopedia)hellebore hĕlˈəbôr [key], name usually for plants of the genus Helleborus of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), Eurasian perennials with attractive palmately divided leaves and flowers o...

harvestfish

(Encyclopedia)harvestfish, common name for a fish of the family Stromateidae (butterfish family), a family of fishes with almost circular bodies and small mouths. The butterfish, or dollarfish (genus Peprilus), is ...

grunt

(Encyclopedia)grunt, common name for members of the family Haemulidae, carnivorous fish of warm seas, most species of which are small and brightly colored. They are sound-producers, creating their noises by grindin...

indigo

(Encyclopedia)indigo [Span.; from Lat.,=Indian], important blue dyestuff used in printing inks and for vat dyeing of cotton (see dye). It was anciently produced in India and was known in Egypt, probably c.1600 b.c....

hybrid

(Encyclopedia)hybrid hīˈbrĭd [key], term applied by plant and animal breeders to the offspring of a cross between two different subspecies or species, and by geneticists to the offspring of parents differing in ...