lilac

/luy"leuhk, -lahk, -lak/, n.

1. any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Syringa, of the olive family, as S. vulgaris, having large clusters of fragrant purple or white flowers: the state flower of New Hampshire.

2. pale reddish purple.

adj.

3. having the color lilac.

[1615-25; < Sp < Ar lilak < Pers, assimilated var. of NILAK bluish, equiv. to nil blue, indigo ( < Skt nila) + -ak suffix of appurtenance]

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Any of about 30 species of fragrant northern spring-flowering garden shrubs and small trees that make up the genus Syringa in the olive family, native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia.

Lilacs have deep green leaves and large, oval clusters of compound blooms coloured deep purple, lavender, blue, red, pink, white, or creamy yellow; they are often highly fragrant. The common lilac (S. vulgaris) reaches 20 ft (6 m) in height and produces many suckers (shoots from the stem or root). The name syringa was formerly used for the mock orange of the saxifrage family, and the butterfly bush (see buddleia) is commonly called "summer lilac."

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▪ plant genus

 any of about 25 species of fragrant and beautiful northern spring-flowering garden shrubs and small trees constituting the genus Syringa of the family Oleaceae. Lilacs are native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia. Their deep green leaves enhance the attractiveness of the large, oval clusters of colourful blooms. The fruit is a leathery capsule.

      The common lilac (S. vulgaris), from southeastern Europe, is widely grown in temperate areas of the world. There are several hundred named varieties with single or double flowers in deep purple, lavender, blue, red, pink, white, and pale, creamy yellow. The common lilac reaches approximately 6 metres (20 feet) and produces many suckers (shoots from the stem or root). It may be grown as a shrub or hedge or, by clearing away the suckers, as a small tree.

      The weaker-stemmed Persian lilac (S. persica), ranging from Iran to China, droops over, reaching about 2 metres in height. Its flowers usually are pale lavender, but there are darker and even white varieties.

      Other decorative species are the dwarf Korean lilac (S. velutina), about 3 metres tall, with lavender-pink flowers; the 4-metre-tall nodding lilac (S. reflexa) of China, with pinkish flowers; the Hungarian lilac (S. josikaèa), about 3 metres tall, with scentless bluish purple flowers; and the daphne lilac (S. microphylla), about 1.5 metres tall, from China, with small leaves, deep red buds, and pale pink flowers. The Chinese lilac, or Rouen lilac (S. chinensis), is a thickly branched hybrid, a cross of the Persian and common lilacs.

      The name syringa was formerly used for the mock orange of the family Saxifragaceae. Species of the genus Ceanothus of the family Rhamnaceae are known as summer lilacs, a term also applied to the butterfly bush of the family Buddlejaceae.

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