pelican-flower

[ pel-i-kuhn-flou-er ]

noun

1. a woody vine, Aristolochia grandiflora, of the West Indies, having heart-shaped leaves and purple-spotted, purple-veined flowers from 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 centimeters) wide with a long, taillike structure at the tip of the corolla.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelican-flower¹

First recorded in 1895–1900