an African sedge, Cyperus alternifolius, having large umbrella-like whorls of slender leaves: widely grown as an ornamental water plant
umbrella plant in American English
a common, cultivated, aquatic sedge (Cyperus alternifolius) having naked, triangular stems surmounted by an umbrellalike whorl of grasslike leaves and greenish spikelets
: also called umbrella palm
umbrella plant in American English
noun
1.
an African plant, Cyperus alternifolius, of the sedge family, that has several stems growing directly upward from a mass of roots and an umbrella-shaped cluster of leaves at the top of each stem
2. Midland U.S.
the May apple plant
3. Also called: wild buckwheat
any of various plants belonging to the genus Eriogonum, of the buckwheat family, native to the western U.S. and Mexico, having rounded heads or umbels of white, yellow, or red flowers
Word origin
[1870–75]
Examples of 'umbrella plant' in a sentence
umbrella plant
She had her back to the door and was spraying a huge umbrella plant.