malesherbia

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of dicotyledonous polypetalous plants, belonging to the natural order Passifloreæ, the passion-flower family, type of tribe Malesherbieæ, characterized by having a tubular calyx, petals shorter than the calyxlobes, and flowers in a bracted raceme. They are erect woolly undershrubs, with narrow leaves and rather large yellow flowers, arranged in a long leafy raceme or thyrse. There are 2 or 3 species, natives of Peru, sometimes cultivated for ornament. These and the species of the allied genus Gymnopleura are sometimes called crownworts.