Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

wax plant

(Encyclopedia)wax plant: see milkweed.

snow plant

(Encyclopedia)snow plant: see Indian pipe.

soap plant

(Encyclopedia)soap plant, any of various plants having cleansing properties. A few are of commercial importance, but most soap plants are used locally, as in early times, for toilet and laundry purposes. The soapba...

rubber plant

(Encyclopedia)rubber plant, name for any plant that yields rubber, specifically the India-rubber tree (Ficus elastica), an Asian fig. See also Pará rubber tree. ...

sensitive plant

(Encyclopedia)sensitive plant: see mimosa.

resurrection plant

(Encyclopedia)resurrection plant, name for several plants, usually of arid regions, that may apparently be brought back to life after they are dead. In reality they have hygroscopic qualities which cause them to cu...

perennial

(Encyclopedia)perennial, any plant that under natural conditions lives for several to many growing seasons, as contrasted to an annual or a biennial. Botanically, the term perennial applies to both woody and herbac...

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...

herb

(Encyclopedia)herb ûrb, hûrb [key], name for any plant that is used medicinally or as a spice and for the useful product of such a plant. Herbs as condiments and seasonings are still important in culinary art; th...

peony

(Encyclopedia)peony pēˈənē [key], any plant of the genus Paeonia of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family, although placed in the order Dilleniales as a separate family, the Paeoniaceae, by many modern bot...