smoke tree (redirected from smoke trees)

smoke tree

n.

Either of two deciduous plants, Cotinus obovatus, a tree of the southern United States, or C. coggygria, a shrub of Eurasia, having plumelike clusters of small yellowish flowers.

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[From the resemblance of the flower clusters to puffs of smoke.]

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smoke tree

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) an anacardiaceous shrub, Cotinus coggygria, of S Europe and Asia, having clusters of yellowish feathery flowers

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a related tree, Cotinus americanus, of the southern US

[so named because of the similarity between its flower clusters and a cloud of smoke]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	smoke tree - any of several shrubs or shrubby trees of the genus Cotinus smoke bush Cotinus, genus Cotinus - smoke trees American smokewood, Cotinus americanus, Cotinus obovatus, chittamwood - shrubby tree of southern United States having large plumes of feathery flowers resembling puffs of smoke Cotinus coggygria, Venetian sumac, wig tree - Old World shrub having large plumes of yellowish feathery flowers resembling puffs of smoke bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
	2.	smoke tree - greyish-green shrub of desert regions of southwestern United States and Mexico having sparse foliage and terminal spikes of bluish violet flowers; locally important as source of a light-colored honey of excellent flavor Dalea spinosa Dalea, genus Dalea - indigo bush bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems