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definitions

woodsia

[woo d-zee-uh]
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noun

any of various small ferns of the genus Woodsia, of northern temperate, alpine, and arctic regions, having short, stout stalks, usually lance-shaped fronds, and often covered with fine hairs: common on mountains in rocky ledges and crevices.

Origin of woodsia

< New Latin (1815), after Joseph Woods (1776–1864), English botanist; see -ia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for woodsia

Historical Examples of woodsia

  • In this first blind endeavor I got, of course, no clew to Woodsia glabella.

    How to Know the Ferns

    Frances Theodora Parsons

  • We discussed the Woodsia Ilvensis and agreed that it was a mythical species.

  • Thought by some botanists to be a smooth form of Woodsia ilvensis.

    The Fern Lover's Companion

    George Henry Tilton

  • Mr. Frost, to whom they were first submitted, pronounced them Woodsia glabella.

    How to Know the Ferns

    Frances Theodora Parsons

  • The fescue (Festuca ovina), a little fern (Woodsia), and a saussurea ascend very near the summit.

    The Heart of Nature

    Francis Younghusband

British Dictionary definitions for woodsia

woodsia

noun

any small fern of the genus Woodsia, of temperate and cold regions, having tufted rhizomes and numerous wiry fronds: family Polypodiaceae
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