sparaxis

British

/ spəˈræksɪs /

noun

any plant of the cormous S African genus Sparaxis, esp S. grandiflora and S. tricolor, grown for their dainty spikes of star-shaped purple, red, or orange flowers: family Iridaceae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sparaxis

New Latin, from Greek sparassein to tear (from the appearance of the spathes)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sparaxis.—Graceful bulbous plants from South Africa.

From Project Gutenberg

SPARAXIS.—The plant best known under this name has been already described as Dierama pulcherrima at p.

From Project Gutenberg

The late summer and autumn flowering kinds are best represented by the Montbretias, Tritonias, Gladiolus, Brodi�as, and Sparaxis.

From Project Gutenberg

Ornithogalum, both the white and orange-flowered species, the free-growing species of Ixia, and the varieties of Sparaxis tricolor, are desirable plants that may be easily bloomed by gentle forcing.

From Project Gutenberg

Gladioli.—Pot them, and Ixias, Sparaxis, &c.; and to be watered sparingly until they begin to grow.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023