Jump To:

• flora
  flora

  noun

  the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.
• Flora
  Flora

  noun

  a female given name.

flora

¹ American  

[flawr-uh, flohr-uh] / ˈflɔr ə, ˈfloʊr ə /

noun

• floras,
  plural
• florae
  plural

1. the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.

2. a work systematically describing such plants.

3. plants, as distinguished from fauna.

4. the aggregate of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms normally occurring on or in the bodies of humans and other animals.

   intestinal flora.

---

Flora ² American  

[flawr-uh, flohr-uh] / ˈflɔr ə, ˈfloʊr ə /

noun

1. a female given name.

---

flora ¹ British  

/ ˈflɔːrə /

noun

1. all the plant life of a given place or time

2. a descriptive list of such plants, often including a key for identification

3. short for intestinal flora

---

Flora ² British  

/ ˈflɔːrə /

noun

1. the Roman goddess of flowers

---

flora Scientific  

/ flôr′ə /

• floras
  plural

1. The plants of a particular region or time period.

2. The bacteria and other microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ or part, such as the intestine.

---

flora Cultural  

1. Plants, especially the plants of a particular place and time.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subflora
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• florae
  plural
• floras
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flora

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin, Latin Flōra the Roman goddess of flowers (used from the 17th century in the titles of botanical works), derivative of Latin flōr- (stem of flōs ) “flower”

Explanation

The flora of a particular area consists of its plant species, considered as a whole. The word also refers to the plant life of a particular era — for example, fossilized plants can help us determine the flora at the time of dinosaurs. The use of the word flora as referring to a particular area's vegetation has been used by botanists since the 1640s, but it became common with Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who in 1745 wrote "Flora Suecica," a study of the plant life of Sweden. The word was a natural fit, as Flōra was the name of the Roman goddess of flowers. When scientists study a region's flora, they classify their findings and create a descriptive list, which is also called a flora.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flora Flora floras

Genetic material recovered from internal tissues included bacteria that were part of Ötzi's original gut flora.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

Ms. Fernando struck upon the premise of her research after joining some Sri Lankan naturalists to document the flora and fauna of the Gulf of Mannar, which once constituted the British Crown’s richest pearling grounds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Its landscapes include grasslands, lagoons, heathland and vegetated shingle, which supports a range of creatures, flora and fauna - not just birds.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

The county, local agencies, utilities and property owners are in a constant battle with the flora and fauna just beyond fencelines and backyards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Thus, New Guineans have had ample opportunity to get to know their local flora and fauna.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Flora Badger is taking three teenage girls on their first holiday abroad this summer.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Smart glasses have been slowly growing in usage, but the category overall faces several barriers to mainstream adoption, said Flora Tang, principal analyst at Counterpoint Research.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026

"I'm under no illusions that Flora will present a very tough challenge, she's undefeated as a professional and has a good amateur pedigree so I have the utmost respect for her," added Taylor.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Flora Rosefsky loves the pictures of her husband, Bernie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

“A few bolts shy of a load,” said Flora out loud.

From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo

Of the 1,000 or so species of floras in the park, lodgepole pine and the duff from its fallen needles and branches provided most of the fuel for the fires.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now all these floras depart in type more or less from their predecessors; each in its turn died out, as Buffon emphatically states, because "time fought against them."

From The Bible: what it is by Charles Bradlaugh

Let us run briefly over the geologic history of insects, in order that we may mark the peculiar light which it casts on the character of the ancient floras.

From The Testimony of the Rocks or, Geology in Its Bearings on the Two Theologies, Natural and Revealed by Hugh Miller

Geology, je-ol′o-ji, n. the science relating to the history and development of the earth's crust, together with the several floras and faunas which have successively clothed and peopled its surface.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Oceanic islands have, as a rule, distinctive faunas and floras which resemble, but are not identical with, those of other islands in similar positions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various

Related Words

• vegetation