A genus of small tropical flowering plants with delicate pink, purple, or white blooms that grow in shady conditions.
From Latin, possibly derived from ex- and acus (needle), referring to the needle-like parts of the plant, though the exact original source is uncertain. The genus name became standardized in botanical Latin during the 18th century.
Exacum affine, called the Persian Violet, is a houseplant that blooms reliably indoors where other plants fail—Victorian plant lovers called it the 'poor man's orchid' because it looked fancy but thrived in coal-smoke-filled homes.
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