desert rose
• noun
A poisonous succulent shrub (Adenium obesum) in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, native to the Sahel and tropical eastern and southern Africa as well as the Arabian Peninsula, cultivated as an ornamental plant and bonsai for its swollen basal stem and clusters of showy, trumpet-shaped pink, red, or white flowers.
"She placed her potted desert rose on the sunny south-facing balcony so its crimson blossoms would flourish."
An intricate, rose-like crystal cluster of gypsum or baryte containing abundant trapped sand grains, formed by the evaporation of moisture in arid sandy environments.
"The geology museum displayed a delicate desert rose excavated from the dry salt flats of Tunisia."
Australian An upright, drought-tolerant shrub (Gossypium sturtianum) in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to arid regions of mainland Australia, bearing hibiscus-like mauve or pink flowers with a dark red center and serving as the floral emblem of the Northern Territory.
"While driving through the red sands of central Australia, they spotted the purple blooms of a native desert rose."
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