air plantn.

Brit.

/ˈɛː plɑːnt/,

/ˈɛː plant/, U.S.

/ˈɛr ˌplænt/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: air n.¹, plant n.¹

Etymology: < air n.¹ + plant n.¹, so called on account of its way of obtaining moisture from the air or the surface of its host. Compare German Luftpflanze (end of the 18th cent. or earlier).

A plant which grows without soil; esp. one growing in a tree or other elevated place, using its roots primarily as a source of attachment and obtaining moisture from the air or the surface of its host, as is the case with many tropical orchids. Cf. epiphyte n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by nutrition or respiration > [noun] > epiphyte

superplant1626

supercrescence1646

air plant1799

epiphyte1861

strangler1895

1799 Asiatic Researches (London ed.) 4 303 This lovely plant [sc. Vandá] attaches itself chiefly to the highest Amras and Bilvas; but it is an air-plant, and lives in a pot without earth or water: its leaves are excavated upwards, to catch and retain dew.

1833 Penny Cycl. I. 242/2 Orchideous air-plants have become comparatively common in the hot-houses of the lovers of beautiful flowers.

a1878 B. Taylor Stud. German Lit. (1879) 64 Like the air-plants of Brazil, their gorgeous blossoms and exquisite fragrance seem to spring from nothing.

1938 C. H. Matschat Suwannee River 223 Tree orchids find a little food in the fallen leaves and dirt which collect around their roots, but most of their nourishment comes from the air; that is why so many people call them air plants.

1960 H. S. Zim Guide to Everglades 60 Air plants, or epiphytes, are plants growing free from contact with the ground. They are not parasites. Members of the orchid and pineapple families offer many examples.

2001 Pet Reptile July 35/2 The airplants (Tillandsia ) are very popular now in florists and nurseries.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	air plant
释义	air plantn. Brit. /ˈɛː plɑːnt/, /ˈɛː plant/, U.S. /ˈɛr ˌplænt/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: air n.¹, plant n.¹ Etymology: < air n.¹ + plant n.¹, so called on account of its way of obtaining moisture from the air or the surface of its host. Compare German Luftpflanze (end of the 18th cent. or earlier). A plant which grows without soil; esp. one growing in a tree or other elevated place, using its roots primarily as a source of attachment and obtaining moisture from the air or the surface of its host, as is the case with many tropical orchids. Cf. epiphyte n. 1. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by nutrition or respiration > [noun] > epiphyte superplant1626 supercrescence1646 air plant1799 epiphyte1861 strangler1895 1799 Asiatic Researches (London ed.) 4 303 This lovely plant [sc. Vandá] attaches itself chiefly to the highest Amras and Bilvas; but it is an air-plant, and lives in a pot without earth or water: its leaves are excavated upwards, to catch and retain dew. 1833 Penny Cycl. I. 242/2 Orchideous air-plants have become comparatively common in the hot-houses of the lovers of beautiful flowers. a1878 B. Taylor Stud. German Lit. (1879) 64 Like the air-plants of Brazil, their gorgeous blossoms and exquisite fragrance seem to spring from nothing. 1938 C. H. Matschat Suwannee River 223 Tree orchids find a little food in the fallen leaves and dirt which collect around their roots, but most of their nourishment comes from the air; that is why so many people call them air plants. 1960 H. S. Zim Guide to Everglades 60 Air plants, or epiphytes, are plants growing free from contact with the ground. They are not parasites. Members of the orchid and pineapple families offer many examples. 2001 Pet Reptile July 35/2 The airplants (Tillandsia ) are very popular now in florists and nurseries. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.1799
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