释义 |
snowberry|ˈsnəʊˌbɛrɪ| [f. snow n.1 Cf. G. schneebeere (Nemnich).] A name given to various plants or shrubs bearing white berries, or to the fruit of these. When denoting the plant or shrub, freq. used attrib. with bush (or tree). In the earliest example the identification is doubtful:—1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 327 Snowberry-bush, Lonicera. 1. A rubiaceous shrub (Chiococca racemosa), native to the West Indies and Florida, cultivated as a greenhouse or hothouse plant.
1815J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 678 Hothouse Plants... Snow-berry. 1839R. Sweet Hothouse & Greenh. Man. (ed. 6) 54 Chiococca racemosa or Snow-berry-bush, thrives well in a mixture of loam and peat. 1864Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Ind. 787/2 Snowberry, Chiococca racemosa. 2. a. A caprifoliaceous shrub (Symphoricarpus racemosus), native to North America and Mexico, commonly grown in gardens and shrubberies. (a)1813T. Jefferson Let. 8 Dec. in Orig. Jrnls. Lewis & Clark Exped. (1905) VII. 393 We call it the snow-berry bush, no botanical name being yet given to it. 1821W. P. C. Barton Flora N. Amer. I. 69 The late Governor Lewis first brought to this city seeds of the snow⁓berry bush. 1872C. Rossetti Sing Song 10 A song-singing thrush, Dead at the foot of a snowberry bush. 1894Mrs. H. Ward Marcella I. 16 The branches of a snowberry tree. (b)1821W. P. C. Barton Flora N. Amer. I. 69 Snow⁓berry is a very ornamental shrub. 1857Henfrey Bot. 313 The berries..of Symphoricarpus, the Snow-berry of our shrubberies, appear to be harmless. 1882Garden 25 Feb. 134/1 The Snowberry..stands almost alone as the representative of the white fruited section. b. The fruit of this shrub.
1837H. Martineau Soc. Amer. II. 245 Smart mulatto girls, with snow-berries in their hair. 1861Mrs. Stowe Pearl of Orr's Island 7 The cheek was white and bloodless as a snowberry. 3. U.S. a. creeping snowberry, a trailing evergreen plant (Chiogenes hispidula) common in bogs and woods.
1856Gray Man. Bot. (1860) 250 Chiogenes, Creeping Snow⁓berry. 1857Thoreau Maine W. (1894) 125 Creeping snow⁓berry, painted trillium. 1872Schele de Vere Americanisms 404 The queen of them all is said to be the lovely, creeping snowberry (Chiogenes hispidula). b. The wintergreen, checkerberry, or tea-berry.
1866Chambers's Encycl. VIII. 789/2 The name Snowberry is also given to Gaultheria serpyllifolia, a native of the bogs of North America. 4. Austr. The wax-cluster, Gaultheria hispida.
1880L. A. Meredith Tasmanian Friends & Foes 11 The ‘Snow-berry’ or ‘Wax cluster’ is also called native Arbutus. |