Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

onion

(Encyclopedia)onion, plant of the family Liliaceae (lily family), of the same genus (Allium) as the chive (A. schoenoprasum), garlic (A. sativum), leek (A. porrum), and shallot (A. ascalonium). These plants are cha...

cosmos

(Encyclopedia)cosmos kŏzˈməs [key], any plant of the tropical American genus Cosmos of the family Asteraceae (aster family). C. bipinnatus, of Mexico, and others are cultivated in many varieties for their showy ...

Cunningham, Imogen

(Encyclopedia)Cunningham, Imogen, 1883–1976, American photographer, b. Portland, Oreg. Cunningham began taking pictures in 1901. After study abroad she opened a studio in Seattle in 1910 and for six decades produ...

De Bary, Heinrich Anton

(Encyclopedia)De Bary, Heinrich Anton hīnˈrĭkh änˈtōn də bärēˈ [key], 1831–88, German botanist. He was professor at the universities of Freiburg in Breisgau (1855–66) and Halle (1867–72) and first r...

Cohn, Ferdinand

(Encyclopedia)Cohn, Ferdinand fĕrˈdĕnänt kōn [key], 1828–98, German botanist. He is considered a founder of the science of bacteriology. From his early studies of microscopic life he developed theories of th...

chickpea

(Encyclopedia)chickpea, annual plant (Cicer arietinum) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), cultivated since antiquity for the somewhat pealike seeds, which are often used as food and forage, principally in In...

Ibaraki

(Encyclopedia)Ibaraki ēbäˈräkē [key], prefecture, 2,352 sq mi (6,092 sq km), central Honshu, Japan. ...

Fraser Island

(Encyclopedia)Fraser Island or Great Sandy Island, 66 sq mi (171 sq km), in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Queensland, Australia; on the west it borders Hervey Bay (NW) and the Great Sandy Strait (SW). Known as...

globeflower

(Encyclopedia)globeflower, common name for any plant of the genus Trollius of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), hardy perennials of north temperate meadows and swamps. Their blossoms are larger than thos...

Browse by Subject