gentian family

gentian family
the plant family Gentianaceae, typified by herbaceous plants having simple opposite leaves, usually blue flowers with five united petals, and fruit in the form of a capsule, and including the closed gentian, fringed gentian, centaury, exacum, and marsh pink.

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Family Gentianaceae (order Gentianales), composed of some 1,100 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants and, rarely, shrubs, native mostly to northern temperate regions.

The four or five united petals that make up the flower may be deeply divided; they overlap and are twisted in the bud. Some species are used in herbal remedies and in the making of dyes. Several species of gentians (genus Gentiana) bear attractive flowers and are cultivated as garden ornamentals. Gentians occur widely in moist meadows and woods.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • gentian family — noun chiefly herbaceous plants with showy flowers; some are cultivated as ornamentals • Syn: ↑Gentianaceae, ↑family Gentianaceae • Hypernyms: ↑dicot family, ↑magnoliopsid family • Member Holonyms: ↑Gentianales, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • gentian family — gen′tian fam ily n. pln a family, Gentianaceae, of nonwoody plants with simple opposite leaves and usu. blue flowers with five united petals: includes centauries and other gentians …   From formal English to slang

  • gentian — [jen′shən] adj. [ME genciane < OFr gentiane < L gentiana, of Illyrian orig.] designating a family (Gentianaceae, order Gentianales) of dicotyledonous plants, including the fringed gentians and the closed gentians n. 1. any of a large genus… …   English World dictionary

  • gentian — /jen sheuhn/, n. 1. any of several plants of the genera Gentiana, Gentianella, and Gentianopsis, having usually blue, or sometimes yellow, white, or red, flowers, as the fringed gentian of North America, or Gentiana lutea, of Europe. Cf. gentian… …   Universalium

  • Gentian — Taxobox name = Gentian image width = 250px image caption = Gentiana verna regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Gentianales familia = Gentianaceae genus = Gentiana L. subdivision ranks = Species subdivision = See …   Wikipedia

  • gentian — gen·tian jen chən n 1) any of two genera (Gentiana and Dasystephana) of herbs belonging to a family (Gentianaceae, the gentian family) and having opposite smooth leaves and showy usu. blue flowers 2) the rhizome and roots of a yellow flowered… …   Medical dictionary

  • gentian — noun Etymology: Middle English gencian, from Anglo French genciane, from Latin gentiana Date: 14th century 1. any of numerous herbs (family Gentianaceae, the gentian family, and especially genus Gentiana) with opposite smooth leaves and showy… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • family Gentianaceae — noun chiefly herbaceous plants with showy flowers; some are cultivated as ornamentals • Syn: ↑Gentianaceae, ↑gentian family • Hypernyms: ↑dicot family, ↑magnoliopsid family • Member Holonyms: ↑Gentianales, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • gentian — gen•tian [[t]ˈdʒɛn ʃən[/t]] n. 1) pln any plant of the gentian family, esp. the genus Gentiana, having usu. blue but sometimes yellow, white, or red flowers 2) pln the root of a European species of gentian, G. lutea, used as a tonic • Etymology:… …   From formal English to slang

  • family — /fam euh lee, fam lee/, n., pl. families, adj. n. 1. parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not. 2. the children of one person or one couple collectively: We want a large family. 3. the spouse and children …   Universalium

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