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Glite Dictionary
gesneriad

gesneriad

1 9.9
A small tropical or subtropical plant like an African violet
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɛznəriˌæd/
  • Specialized
: gesneriada
  • Streptocarpus belongs to the family of gesneriads, which also includes popular houseplants like African violets and gloxinia.

Examples

  • Rubino bred new forms of Sinningia and other gesneriads, as well as new forms of Exacum (Persian Violet).

    Academic text (1994)

  • In a botanical garden, you can find various types of gesneriads thriving in tropical environments.

  • Many gardeners love to cultivate gesneriads because of their beautiful flowers and diverse shapes.

Surface Forms

gesneriad singular
gesneriads plural

Etymology

Gesneriad is named after the Swiss naturalist Gesner, so it originally meant 'of Gesner'. Today it names plants in the family Gesneriaceae, for example the African violet, which makes it easy to remember that a gesneriad is a kind of plant.