unicorn plant

unicorn plant
a North American plant, Proboscidea (Martynia) louisianica, having creamy-white to red flowers blotched with purple, and a woody capsule with a long, curved beak.
[1790-1800]

* * *

      any North American herb of the family Martyniaceae of the flowering plant order Lamiales, and particularly Proboseidea louisianica. There are nine species of unicorn plants, most having large purple or creamy white flowers.

      The unicorn plant is often grown for its novel fruits, which are hanging, hornlike, woody pods with a thick body, 7.6 or 10 cm (3 or 4 inches) long, ending in a curved beak of equal or even greater length. When dry, the beak splits into two clawlike appendages.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • unicorn plant — noun : a No. American annual herb (Martynia louisianica) having large whitish or yellowish flowers mottled with purple or yellow within and a capsule with a long curving beak * * * a North American plant, Proboscidea (Martynia) louisianica,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • unicorn plant — noun Date: 1847 devil s claw …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • unicorn-plant family — noun : martyniaceae …   Useful english dictionary

  • false unicorn plant — noun see false unicorn root …   Useful english dictionary

  • sweet unicorn plant — noun a herbaceous plant of the genus Proboscidea • Syn: ↑Proboscidea fragrans, ↑Martynia fragrans • Hypernyms: ↑herb, ↑herbaceous plant • Member Holonyms: ↑Proboscidea, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • common unicorn plant — noun annual of southern United States to Mexico having large whitish or yellowish flowers mottled with purple and a long curving beak • Syn: ↑devil s claw, ↑common devil s claw, ↑elephant tusk, ↑proboscis flower, ↑ram s horn, ↑Proboscidea… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Unicorn Jelly — Infobox webcomic| title = Unicorn Jelly caption = Unicorn Jelly volume 1 , color edition, featuring Uni author = Jennifer Diane Reitz url = http://www.unicornjelly.com/ status = Completed began = September 5th, 2000 ended = April 14th, 2003 genre …   Wikipedia

  • unicorn beetle — ▪ insect       (Dynastes tityus), a large, easily recognized insect of the Dynastinae subfamily of the beetle family Scarabaeidae (order Coleoptera). The unicorn beetle is closely related to the rhinoceros and elephant beetles. Hornlike… …   Universalium

  • unicorn root — noun any of several perennials of the genus Aletris having grasslike leaves and bitter roots reputed to cure colic • Syn: ↑colicroot, ↑colic root, ↑crow corn, ↑star grass • Hypernyms: ↑liliaceous plant • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Proboscidea (plant) — Proboscidea Botanical drawing of Proboscidea louisianica Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”