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prettygoodwordcleome (klle-OH-mee) - n., any of many mostly tropical herbaceous or shrubby plants of the genus Cleome, esp C. spinosa, cultivated as ornamentals for their clusters of showy flowers with long stamens.
Also called spider flower. All told, there are a couple hundred species. The name was coined by Linneaus, but we're not certain from what -- most likely is from Late Latin cleoma, which is the unrelated hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale), itself probably of Greek origin but this too is uncertain. Here's some C. spinosa being spidery:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
Also called spider flower. All told, there are a couple hundred species. The name was coined by Linneaus, but we're not certain from what -- most likely is from Late Latin cleoma, which is the unrelated hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale), itself probably of Greek origin but this too is uncertain. Here's some C. spinosa being spidery:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
