lagerstroemia
lagerstroemia Lexical Profile
• noun
Any tree or shrub of the genus Lagerstroemia, native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, widely cultivated in warmer climates for their vibrant, crinkled summer flowers and peeling bark.
"The landscaping committee decided to plant a row of lagerstroemia along the avenue to ensure a spectacular display of pink and purple blooms throughout the hot summer months."
Word Nuance & Usage
In everyday conversation, this plant is almost universally referred to by its colloquial name, 'crape myrtle' (or 'crepe myrtle'); 'lagerstroemia' is typically reserved for botanical, taxonomic, or formal horticultural contexts.
• Rhymes for lagerstroemia
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-18th century by Carl Linnaeus, who named the genus in honor of his friend Magnus von Lagerström, a director of the Swedish East India Company who supplied him with botanical specimens from Asia.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.