brodiaea

1 9.9

A flowering plant with grass-like leaves and blue or purple flowers

noun
/broʊdiˈiːə/

Specialized

: brodiaea

The brodiaea blooms beautifully in the spring.

Examples

In the spring, the hills were dotted with blooming brodiaea.
Many gardeners value brodiaea for its elegant, grass-like foliage and vibrant flower clusters.
The delicate blue flowers of the brodiaea attracted several species of pollinators.
I saw a lovely brodiaea in the garden yesterday.
The garden was filled with colorful flowers, including a beautiful brodiaea with deep purple blooms.
During our hike, we spotted a cluster of brodiaea shining brightly among the green grass.
In the spring, the brodiaea blossoms add a vibrant touch to the wildflower landscape.

Compounds

Brodiaea elegans

Specialized

9.9

A flowering plant with violet flowers on a leafless stalk from Oregon to southern California

elegant brodiaea

Specialized

9.9

A wildflower from western North America with violet or blue-violet flowers on a leafless stalk

Surface Forms

brodiaea singular

brodiaeas plural

Morphology

brodiaea = Brodie (opaque) = brodie + ea

This is a taxonomic eponym formed from the surname Brodie plus a learned botanical ending, so the plant meaning is not recoverable from the base word for an average learner.

Etymology

Brodiaea comes from the name of a Scottish plant collector, Brodie, so the name can be remembered as 'Brodie's plant'. That's why brodiaea refers today to a group of wild, grass-like plants with blue or purple flowers.