shellflower

[shel-flou-er]

noun

1. an eastern Asian plant, Alpinia zerumbet, of the ginger family, having pendulous clusters of fragrant white flowers with variegated markings.

2. bells of Ireland.

3. any of several other plants with flowers or parts thought to resemble shells, as those of the genus Tigridia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shellflower¹

First recorded in 1835–45; shell + flower

Example Sentences

Snake-head; Turtle-head; Balmony; Shellflower; Cod-head Chelone glabra Flowers—White tinged with pink, or all white, about 1 in. long, growing in a dense, terminal cluster.

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