columnea

[ kuh-luhm-nee-uh ]

noun

1. any of various vines or shrubs of the genus Columnea, native to tropical America, that have tubular, showy, two-lipped flowers and are often cultivated as houseplants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of columnea¹

< New Latin (Linnaeus), equivalent to column ( a ), Latinized form of Fabio Colonna (1567–ca. 1640), Italian writer on plants + -ea -ea

Example Sentences

Königsberg,' 1860, i, 59, Columnea.

From Project Gutenberg

Near the bed of this river, which is called the Deo Panee, I found a curious Menispermous genus, Columnea, Clypeæ perianthia uncialata, ore integeriuscula, a Myrtacea, Uncaria, Abroma augusta, etc.

From Project Gutenberg