gayfeathern.
/ˈɡeɪˌfɛðə/, U.S. /ˈɡeɪˌfɛðər/ Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Liatris (family Asteraceae), native to North American grassland, esp. L. spicata, which has an erect spike of mauve flowers.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Compositae (composite plants) > [noun] > liatris
rattlesnake master1806
liatris1811
gayfeather1845
vanilla plant1856
1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xvi. 145 Such flowers as..are proper to that description of soil;—the sleepy catchfly,..pennyroyal with its purple whorls,..peach-perfumed waxen ladies tresses, nodding purple gay feather.
1880 Libr. Universal Knowl. VI. 493 Gay-feather, the common name for the liatris scariosa and spicata.
1930 L. H. Bailey & E. Z. Bailey Hortus 360/1 Liatris.., Blazing Star. Gayfeather. Button Snakeroot.
1969 D. F. Costello Prairie World iii. 47 Tooth-leaved primrose (Oenothera serrulata ), western wallflower (Erysimum asperum ), and gayfeather (Liatris punctata ) occasionally are abundant.
1987 Ecology 68 1748/1 Primary foods [of goldfinches]..included seeds of thistle,..goatsbeard (Tragopogon spp.), and gayfeather (Liatris pycnostachya).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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