dicentra

American  

[dahy-sen-truh] / daɪˈsɛn trə /

noun

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Dicentra, of the fumitory family, having long clusters of drooping flowers, such as the Dutchman's breeches or the bleeding heart.

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dicentra British  

/ daɪˈsɛntrə /

noun

1. any Asian or North American plant of the genus Dicentra, such as bleeding heart and Dutchman's-breeches, having finely divided leaves and ornamental clusters of drooping flowers: family Fumariaceae

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Etymology

Origin of dicentra

1833; < New Latin < Greek díkentr ( os ) with two stings or spurs, equivalent to di- di- ¹ + -kentros, derivative of kéntron a spur, point, sting (derivative of kenteîn to prick, sting) + Latin -a -a ²

Example Sentences

Of the list of fragrant wild flowers I have given, the only ones that the bees procure nectar from, so far as I have observed, are arbutus, dicentra, sugar maple, locust, and linden.

From The Writings of John Burroughs — Volume 05: Pepacton by Burroughs, John

Still, her gaze took in the topmost boughs of the ailanthus below her window, and she knew how early each year the clump of dicentra strung its bending stalk with hearts of pink.

From The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton — Part 1 by Wharton, Edith

There is nectar in the columbine, and the bumblebee sometimes gets it by piercing the spur from the outside as she does with dicentra.

From The Writings of John Burroughs — Volume 05: Pepacton by Burroughs, John

The plumy dicentra, or Dutchman’s breeches, seems so feminine as to be grossly misnamed until we remember that it was first discovered in the Rip Van Winkle country.

From Some Spring Days in Iowa by Lazell, Frederick John

The arbutus and the dicentra appeared on the 10th, and the coltsfoot—which, however, is an importation—about the same time.

From A Year in the Fields by Burroughs, John