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cleome (klee-OH-mee) - n., any of several hundred species of strong-smelling, mostly tropical, herbaceous plants or shrubs (genus Cleome), often bearing showy flowers.
Many species are also called spider flower, spider plant (not the common houseplant, but a different one), or spider weed. Depending on how you slice the classifications (this is an ongoing debate) there's anywhere from just under 200 to over 300 species. The genus was named by Linnaeus using Late Latin cleoma, hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale, which is a totally different plant with a few anatomical similarities), from Greek, probably (because hedge mustard was traditionally used by singers and orators as a remedy for sore throat) from kleos, fame/glory, or kleiein, to tell of/make famous -- which makes it cognate with the muse Clio. One species (Cleome hassleriana):
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
Many species are also called spider flower, spider plant (not the common houseplant, but a different one), or spider weed. Depending on how you slice the classifications (this is an ongoing debate) there's anywhere from just under 200 to over 300 species. The genus was named by Linnaeus using Late Latin cleoma, hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale, which is a totally different plant with a few anatomical similarities), from Greek, probably (because hedge mustard was traditionally used by singers and orators as a remedy for sore throat) from kleos, fame/glory, or kleiein, to tell of/make famous -- which makes it cognate with the muse Clio. One species (Cleome hassleriana):
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
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