showy orchis
noun
a wild orchid, Orchis spectabilis, of eastern North America, having a spike of showy flowers, each with purple, pink, or white sepals and petals united into a galea and a white lip.
Origin of showy orchis
1An Americanism dating back to 1855–60
Words Nearby showy orchis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use showy orchis in a sentence
The first to bloom in the spring is the showy orchis, though it is far less showy than several others.
A Year in the Fields | John BurroughsThese are so modest, one would hardly suspect they belonged to the showy orchis family.
The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits | Mary Elizabeth ParsonsYou gather it when you go for the fragrant, showy orchis,—that is, if you are lucky enough to find it.
Riverby | John Burroughs
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