Heliotropium
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9.9
A group of related flowering plants with fragrant purple or white flowers
- proper noun
- /ˌhiːliəˈtroʊpiəm/
- Specialized
:
Heliotropium
- So have I taught Oporinus about this herb called Matuchiol, yclept Heliotropium, which revolves according to the sun.
- Heliotropium (heliotrope)
Examples
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In my garden, I planted Heliotropium for its beautiful scent and lovely clusters of blossoms.
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Every summer, the Heliotropium blooms, filling the air with its sweet fragrance.
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The fragrant flowers of Heliotropium are often purple or white and attract many pollinators.
Surface Forms
Heliotropium main
Morphology
Heliotropium = heliotrope (semi-transparent) = heliotrope + ium
The genus name is formed by adding the Latin '-ium' to 'heliotrope'; structurally regular but specialized to scientific nomenclature.
Etymology
Heliotropium as a genus name also comes from Greek helios ('sun') and tropos ('turn'), given because many species seem to 'face' or follow the sun. So the scientific name simply describes this group of fragrant, sun-facing plants.