Eupatoriaceous

/juːpætɔːriˈeɪʃəs/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or belonging to the Eupatorium family (also called Asteraceae), a large plant family that includes asters, daisies, and Joe-Pye weeds.

Etymology

From Eupatorium (genus) + -aceous (botanical adjective suffix meaning 'of the nature of'). The genus name honors Eupator, an ancient king.

Kelly Says

Plants in the eupatoriaceous family have a wild superpower—they can extract heavy metals from toxic soil and store them in their leaves, so scientists are breeding them as 'phytoremediators' to clean up polluted land.

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