heliotrope

heliotrope
/hee"lee euh trohp', heel"yeuh-/ or, esp. Brit., /hel"yeuh-/, n.
1. any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers.
2. any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope.
3. any plant that turns toward the sun.
4. a light tint of purple; reddish lavender.
5. Survey. an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station.
6. bloodstone.
[1580-90; < MF héliotrope < L heliotropium < Gk heliotrópion (see HELIO-, -TROPE); cf. ME elitropium, elitropius, OE eliotropus < ML]

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Any of about 250 species of tropical or temperate, mostly herbaceous, plants that make up the genus Heliotropium, in the borage family, found throughout the world.

Included are many weedy species. The best known is garden heliotrope (H. arborescens), a shrubby perennial that bears fragrant, purple to white, flat-clustered, five-lobed flowers in coiled sprays, similar to forget-me-nots.

Garden heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)

Walter Dawn

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plant
 any of about 250 species of tropical or temperate, mostly herbaceous plants that make up the genus Heliotropium (family Boraginaceae) and are distributed throughout the world. The genus has many weedy species. The best known is garden heliotrope (H. arborescens), a shrubby perennial up to 2 m (over 6 feet) tall but usually less. It has fragrant, purple to white, flat-clustered, five-lobed flowers in coiled sprays, similar to forget-me-nots.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • héliotrope — [ eljɔtrɔp ] n. m. • eliotropie 1372; lat. d o. gr. heliotropium « pierre précieuse » et « tournesol » 1 ♦ Plante à feuilles alternes et persistantes, à fleurs odorantes (borraginacées), des régions chaudes et tempérées. L héliotrope d Europe, à… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Heliotrope — may mean:* Heliotropium , a plant genus * A plant that exhibits heliotropism * Heliotrope (color), a pink purple shade * Heliotrope (instrument), a land surveying instrument *Heliotrope E Zine Speculative Fiction E zine * Heliotrope (mineral),… …   Wikipedia

  • Heliotrope — Héliotrope Pour les articles homonymes, voir Héliotrope (homonymie) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • heliotrope — [hē′lē ə trōp΄; ] also, chiefly Brit [, hel′ē ətrōp] n. [Fr héliotrope < L heliotropium < Gr hēliotropion < hēlios, the sun (see HELIOS) + base of trepein, to turn (see TROPE)] 1. Obs. a sunflower or other plant whose flowers turn to… …   English World dictionary

  • Heliotrope — He li*o*trope, n. [F. h[ e]liotrope, L. heliotropium, Gr. ?; ? the sun + ? to turn, ? turn. See {Heliacal}, {Trope}.] 1. (Anc. Astron.) An instrument or machine for showing when the sun arrived at the tropics and equinoctial line. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heliotrope — plant which turns its flowers and leaves to the sun, 1620s, from Fr. héliotrope (14c.) and directly from L. heliotropium, from Gk. heliotropion, from helios sun (see SOL (Cf. sol)) + tropos turn (see TROPE (Cf. trope)). The word was applied… …   Etymology dictionary

  • heliotrope — HELIOTROPE. s. m. Autrement nommée Tourne sol, Fleur jaune qui vient dans l automne, & qui selon les naturalistes se tourne tousjours vers le soleil …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • héliotrope — (é li o tro p ) s. m. 1°   Genre de plantes de la famille des borraginées, où l on distingue l héliotrope, heliotropium europaeum, L., dit aussi herbe aux verrues, et l heliotropium peruvianum, L., cultivé pour la beauté et surtout pour la bonne… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • HÉLIOTROPE — s. m. T. de Botan. Genre de plantes qui contient une cinquantaine d espèces : les plus connues sont l Héliotrope du Pérou, fort recherché à cause de l odeur suave de ses fleurs, qui lui a fait donner aussi le nom de Vanille par les jardiniers ;… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • Héliotrope — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Héliotrope (homonymie). Heliotropium …   Wikipédia en Français

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