noun
large genus of low-growing herbs; widespread throughout tropical and warm temperate regions having usually basal leaves and panicles of purplish ephemeral flowers
• Syn: ↑genus Calandrinia
• Hypernyms: ↑caryophylloid dicot genus
• Member Holonyms: ↑Portulacaceae, ↑family Portulacaceae, ↑purslane family
• Member Meronyms: ↑rock purslane, ↑red maids, ↑redmaids, ↑Calandrinia ciliata
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\\ˌkalənˈdrinēə\ nounUsage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, after Jean Louis Calandrini died 1758 Swiss botanist
: a large genus of mostly So. American and Australian succulent herbs of the family Portulacaceae that have basal or alternate leaves and purplish ephemeral flowers in bracted racemes or panicles — see rock purslane
Useful english dictionary. 2012.