zinnia

zin·ni·a  (zn-)

n.

Any of various plants of the genus Zinnia, native to tropical America, especially Z. elegans, widely cultivated for its showy, rayed, variously colored flower heads. Also called regionally old maid, old maid flower.

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[New Latin Zinnia, genus name, after Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727-1759), German botanist.]

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zinnia

Noun

a plant of tropical and subtropical America, with solitary heads of brightly coloured flowers [after J. G. Zinn, botanist]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

zinnia - any of various plants of the genus Zinnia cultivated for their variously and brightly colored flower heads old maid flower, old maid flower - a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms genus Zinnia - genus of annual or perennial plants of tropical America having solitary heads of brightly colored flowers white zinnia, Zinnia acerosa - subshrub with slender woolly stems and long narrow leaves and flower heads with white rays; southern United States and northern Mexico little golden zinnia, Zinnia grandiflora - subshrub having short leafy stems and numerous small flower heads with nearly round yellow-orange rays; Arizona south to Mexico and east to Kansas