Narcissus

views updated Jun 27 2018

Narcissus (daffodils; family Amaryllidaceae) A genus of bulbous herbs whose regular flowers are borne singly or in groups on the tip of a leafless stem, and which have a papery spathe around the flower or flower group. The flowers have 6 similar perianth segments and also a cup or trumpet-shaped corona surrounding the stamens. Narcissus species are much cultivated (as wild species and as hybrids or cultivars) for the fine flowers. There are 27 species, occuring in Europe, western Asia, and N. Africa.

amaryllis

views updated Jun 11 2018

am·a·ryl·lis / ˌaməˈrilis/ • n. a bulbous plant of the lily family with showy white, pink, or red flowers and straplike leaves, in particular: ∎  a South African plant (Amaryllis belladonna), also called belladonna lily. ∎  a tropical South American plant that is frequently grown as a houseplant (hybrids of the genus Hippeastrum, formerly Amaryllis).

narcissus

views updated May 14 2018

nar·cis·sus / närˈsisəs/ • n. (pl. same, -cis·si / -ˈsisī; -sē/ , or -cissuses ) a bulbous Eurasian plant of a genus that includes the daffodil, esp. (in gardening) one with flowers that have white or pale outer petals and a shallow orange or yellow cup in the center. • Genus Narcissus, family Liliaceae (or Amaryllidaceae): many species and varieties, in particular N. poeticus.

amaryllis

views updated May 11 2018

amaryllis Genus consisting of a single species of bulbous plant, Amaryllis belladona, the belladonna lily, which has several trumpet-shaped pink or white flowers. Amaryllis is also the common name for Hippeastrum, a bulbous houseplant.

amaryllis

views updated May 29 2018

amaryllis genus of bulbous plants. XVIII. modl. (Linnaeus) use of L. Amaryllis, Gr. Amarullis typical name for a pretty country girl in Theocritus, Virgil, and Ovid.

Amaryllis

views updated May 29 2018

Amaryllis name of a shepherdess in the pastoral poetry of Virgil and Ovid, used by Milton in ‘Lycidas’ (1638).