brunfelsia

[ broon-fel-zee-uh ]

noun

1. any of various shrubs or small trees belonging to the genus Brunfelsia, of the nightshade family, native to tropical America, having white or purple tubular or bell-shaped flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of brunfelsia¹

< New Latin (Linnaeus), named in honor of Otto Brunfels (circa 1488–1534), German humanist scholar and pioneer botanist; -ia

Example Sentences

The plant—now dubbed Brunfelsia plowmaniana—had puzzled botanists for decades as they endeavored to determine whether or not it was truly an evolutionary newcomer.

From Scientific American

The particular species Nee presented to Plowman was labeled Brunfelsia uniflora—however, Nee and Plowman questioned the identification.

From Scientific American

Convinced of a difference but unable to pinpoint it, Plowman continued to study and revise his writings on the brunfelsia genus until his death in 1989, yet he never solved the riddle.

From Scientific American

A member of the nightshade family, Brunfelsia are known for their occasionally toxic and hallucinogenic properties, as well as their bright, color-changing flowers.

From Scientific American

Filipowicz and botanist Susanne Renner, director of the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich Herbarium and Munich Botanical Garden, turned to Nee for a new physical description of the plant, and the trio published their description of Brunfelsia plowmaniana, named in honor of Timothy Plowman.

From Scientific American