pilea

American  

[pahy-lee-uh, pil-ee-uh] / ˈpaɪ li ə, ˈpɪl i ə /

noun

1. any of numerous plants belonging to the genus Pilea, of the nettle family, many species of which are cultivated for their ornamental foliage.

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pilea British  

/ ˈpɪlɪə /

noun

1. any plant of the tropical annual or perennial genus Pilea, esp P. muscosa, the artillery or gunpowder plant, which releases a cloud of pollen when shaken; some others are grown for their ornamental foliage: family Urticaceae

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Etymology

Origin of pilea

< New Latin (1821), coinage based on Latin pīleus, pilleus skullcap ( pileus, -a ² ); originally so called because one of the three sepals forms a hood over the fruit

Example Sentences

Former “It” plants like the pilea peperomioides, with its coin-shaped leaves, and the fiddle leaf fig, a fixture of home design catalogs, have been bumped out of vogue.

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2022

With easy-to-root cuttings, this pilea is now spreading among friends in other developed nations faster than jars of sourdough starter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2018

I was tickled to see the scaly-looking leaves of the alligator pilea interspersed with the floppy elephant ears.

From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2014