Erodium

/ɪˈroʊdiəm/ noun

Definition

A genus of small herbaceous plants in the geranium family, often called heron's bills or stork's bills because of their distinctive elongated seed pods.

Etymology

From Greek 'erōdios' (heron), referring to the heron-like appearance of the plant's seed capsules. The genus was formally named in botanical classification during the 18th century.

Kelly Says

Erodium plants have a wild dispersal trick—their twisted seed pods literally corkscrew themselves into the soil when they dry out, planting themselves without any help.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.