night blooming cereus
night blooming cereus Lexical Profile
• noun
Any of several species of climbing or sprawling cacti native to the Americas that produce large, highly fragrant white flowers which open only after dark and typically wither by morning.
"The botanical conservatory stayed open late so visitors could witness the rare, fleeting display of the night blooming cereus."
The large, showy, and heavily scented flower of such a cactus.
"She carefully photographed the delicate petals of the night blooming cereus just moments before the sun rose."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often hyphenated as 'night-blooming cereus', this common name does not refer to a single species but is widely applied to several distinct genera of cacti that share the trait of flowering only after dark.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term 'night-blooming' describes its nocturnal flowering habit. 'Cereus' derives from the Latin 'cereus' meaning 'waxen' or 'torch', originally referring to the tall, candle-like ribbed stems of some cactus species.