hydrangea

hydrangea
/huy drayn"jeuh, -jee euh, -dran"-/, n.
any shrub belonging to the genus Hydrangea, of the saxifrage family, several species of which are cultivated for their large, showy flower clusters of white, pink, or blue.
[ < NL (Linnaeus) < Gk hydr- HYDR-1 + NL angea, fem. n. based on Gk angeîon vessel; so called from cup-shaped seed capsule]

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Any of approximately 23 species of erect or climbing woody shrubs that make up the genus Hydrangea (family Hydrangeaceae).

It is native to the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia. Several species are grown in greenhouses and gardens for their showy, usually ball-like flower clusters. Cultivated varieties of the French hydrangea, or hortensia H. macrophylla, bear large globular flower clusters in various colours; they are the florist's hydrangeas.

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▪ plant
      (Hydrangea), any of a genus of erect or climbing woody shrubs, in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia. About 23 species are known. Several species are grown in greenhouses and gardens for their showy, usually ball-like flower clusters.

      Hills-of-snow, or wild hydrangea (H. arboresceus), a shrub slightly more than 1 metre (4 feet) tall, has rounded clusters of white flowers. The French hydrangea, or hortensia (H. macrophylla), is widely cultivated in many varieties for its large globular flower clusters in colours of rose, lavender, blue, and, rarely, white. These cultivated varieties are the florist's hydrangeas, forced for holiday use. The flower colour is variable, depending on the acidity of the growing medium: rose-pink under neutral to low soil acidity and blue under conditions of stronger acidity. Blue flowers can be produced by the early addition of chemicals to increase the acidity of the growing medium.

      Peegee hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora'), growing to a height of 9 m, is a common landscape hydrangea, with tapering flower clusters, opening white and fading to pink, then to bronze. Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), up to 2 m high, has white flower clusters and deep wine-red fall foliage. The climbing hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris, or H. petiolaris), can reach up to 15 m, clinging to any solid support by means of aerial rootlets.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • hydrangea — ⇒HYDRANGÉA, subst. fém. BOT. Nom générique de l hortensia. Cinq ou six vases apportés par des mains bien intentionnées contenaient des roses blanches, des hydrangéas (COLETTE, Chatte, 1933, p. 59). Prononc. et Orth. : [ ]. Dict. du XXe s. :… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Hydrangea — Hy*dran ge*a, peop. n. [NL., fr. Gr. y dwr water + ? vessel, capsule: cf. F. hydrang[ e]e.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubby plants bearing opposite leaves and large heads of showy flowers, white, or of various colors. {Hydrangea hortensis}, the common… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hydrangea — [hī drān′jə, hīdran′jə; hī drān′jē ə, hī dran′jē ə] n. [ModL < HYDR + Gr angeion, vessel] any of a genus (Hydrangea) of shrubs or vines of the saxifrage family, with opposite leaves and large, showy clusters of white, blue, or pink flowers,… …   English World dictionary

  • Hydrangĕa — (H. L.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Saxifragaceae Hydrangeae, 10 Kl. 2. Ordn. L.; Arten: H. hortensis, Hortensia (s.d.); H. arborescens, Strauch in Virginien; H. cyanema Nutt., von den Bhotanalpen stammende Pflanze, stark behaart, die… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Hydrangĕa L. — Hydrangĕa L. (Hortensie), Gattung der Saxifragazeen, niederliegende, aufrechte, auch kletternde Sträucher, bisweilen Bäume mit gegenständigen, ganzrandigen, gesägten oder gelappten Blättern und mit zahlreichen kleinen Blüten in zusammengesetzten… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hydrangea — Hydrangĕa L., Pflanzengattg. der Saxifragazeen, Sträucher oder Bäume im östl. Asien und dem gemäßigten Amerika. Die schönste Art ist die Hortensie, H. Hortensia DC., aus China und Japan, mit großen, kugeligen, rosenroten Scheindolden, beliebte… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea, s. Hortensie …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Hydrangea —   [zu griechisch angeĩon »Gefäß«], wissenschaftlicher Name der Pflanzengattung Hortensie.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • hydrangea — 1753, coined in Modern Latin by Linnæus as compound of Gk. hydr , stem of hydor water (see WATER (Cf. water) (n.1)) + angeion vessel, capsule (see ANGIO (Cf. angio )); so called from the shrub s cup shaped seed pods …   Etymology dictionary

  • hydrangea — ► NOUN ▪ a shrub with large white, blue, or pink flowers, native to Asia and America. ORIGIN from Greek hudro water + angeion vessel (from the cup shape of its seed capsule) …   English terms dictionary

  • Hydrangea — Taxobox name = Hydrangea image width = 240px image caption = Hydrangea macrophylla regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Cornales familia = Hydrangeaceae genus = Hydrangea genus authority = L. subdivision ranks …   Wikipedia

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