showy orchis

noun

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of showy orchis¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

The first to bloom in the spring is the showy orchis, though it is far less showy than several others.

From Project Gutenberg

These are so modest, one would hardly suspect they belonged to the showy orchis family.

From Project Gutenberg

You gather it when you go for the fragrant, showy orchis,—that is, if you are lucky enough to find it.

From Project Gutenberg