calibrachoa
calibrachoa Lexical Profile
• noun
A genus of small, trailing, evergreen flowering plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to South America, highly popular in horticulture for their profuse, bell-shaped blooms that resemble miniature petunias.
"She filled the hanging baskets on her front porch with brightly colored calibrachoas that cascaded over the edges."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often sold under the trademarked name 'Million Bells,' calibrachoas are frequently confused with petunias but can be botanically distinguished by their smaller flowers, differing chromosome count, and bushier growth habit.
• Rhymes for calibrachoa
Word Origin & Etymology
Named in 1825 by Spanish botanist Vicente Cervantes in honor of Antonio de la Cal y Bracho, a 19th-century Mexican pharmacologist and botanist.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.