loosestrife family

American  

noun

1. the plant family Lythraceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees having usually opposite or whorled, simple leaves, clusters of flowers, and fruit in the form of a capsule, and including the crape myrtle, loosestrifes of the genus Lythrum, and the henna shrub.

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Example Sentences

Henna, hen′a, n. a small Oriental shrub of the loosestrife family, with fragrant white flowers: a pigment made from the shrub for dyeing the nails and hair.

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