umbrella plant
umbrella plant Lexical Profile
• noun
A popular tropical evergreen shrub or tree (genus Schefflera), often grown as a houseplant, characterized by palmately compound leaves that radiate outward from a central stalk like the spokes of an umbrella.
"The umbrella plant in the corner of the office thrives despite the lack of direct sunlight."
A semi-aquatic sedge native to Madagascar (Cyperus alternifolius), featuring tall stems topped with a whorl of leafy bracts resembling an umbrella canopy, often used in water gardens.
"We planted an umbrella plant at the edge of the pond to add height and texture to the water feature."
North American A large-leaved perennial woodland plant (Darmera peltata) native to stream banks in the western United States, also known as Indian rhubarb.
"The massive, rounded leaves of the umbrella plant provided excellent ground cover along the muddy creek bank."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined as a common name in reference to the distinct radiating arrangement of the plant's leaves or bracts, which visually resemble the canopy of an open umbrella.