twayblade

twayblade
/tway"blayd'/, n.
any of various orchids, esp. of the genera Listera and Liparis, characterized by two nearly opposite broad leaves.
[1570-80; dial. tway (apocopated form of OE twegen TWAIN) + BLADE]

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▪ plant
      any member of either of two genera of orchids, family Orchidaceae: Liparis and Listera. Liparis, also known as false twayblade, with about 320 species, is distributed worldwide. Each plant has broad, paired leaves, and most have dull-coloured, purplish flowers borne in a terminal spike. The flowers of the large twayblade (Liparis lilifolia) of eastern North America have thin, slender side petals and a broad lip. The fen orchid (Liparis loeselii) is a similar species found in northern Eurasia.

      Listera, with about 20 north-temperate species, also is characterized by broad, paired leaves. Each flower has a large, forked lip. The common twayblade (Listera ovata) found throughout Eurasia has small green flowers and broad, egg-shaped leaves. All species of Listera have an unusual pollination mechanism by which pollen grains are glued to a visiting insect with an explosive force. The frightened insect then leaves and transfers the pollen to the next flower it visits. A common twayblade usually does not flower until its 10th year but may reproduce vegetatively by means of buds along the roots. The lesser twayblade (Listera cordata), also widespread in Eurasia, has heart-shaped leaves.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Twayblade — Tway blade , n. (Bot.) Any one of several orchidaceous plants which have only two leaves, as the species of {Listera} and of {Liparis}. [Written also {twyblade}.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • twayblade — [twā′blād΄] n. [archaic tway, two (ME twei, var. of twene: see TWAIN) + BLADE] any of various native, soil inhabiting orchids (esp. genera Listera and Liparis) having opposite, paired leaves …   English World dictionary

  • twayblade — noun Etymology: English dialect tway two Date: 1578 any of various orchids (genera Listera and Liparis) often having two leaves …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • twayblade — noun Any of several orchids, of the genera Lipara and Listera, that have a pair of basal leaves …   Wiktionary

  • twayblade — noun an orchid with a slender spike of greenish or brownish flowers and a single pair of broad leaves near the base. [Listera ovata and related species.] Origin C16: from tway (var. of twain) + blade, translating L. bifolium …   English new terms dictionary

  • twayblade — tway·blade …   English syllables

  • twayblade — tway•blade [[t]ˈtweɪˌbleɪd[/t]] n. pln any of various terrestrial orchids, esp. of the genera Listera and Liparis, having two nearly opposite broad leaves • Etymology: 1570–80; dial. tway (apocopated form of OE twēgen twain) +blade …   From formal English to slang

  • twayblade — n. any orchid of the genus Listera etc., with green or purple flowers and a single pair of leaves. Etymology: tway var. of TWAIN + BLADE …   Useful english dictionary

  • lesser twayblade — širdinė dviguonė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Gegužraibinių šeimos augalas (Listera cordata), paplitęs Europoje, Azijoje ir Šiaurės Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Listera cordata angl. lesser twayblade vok. kleines Zweiblatt šaltinis… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • common twayblade — kiaušininė dviguonė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Gegužraibinių šeimos augalas (Listera ovata), paplitęs Europoje ir vakarų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Listera ovata angl. common twayblade vok. großes Zweiblatt šaltinis Valstybinės… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

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