fraxinella

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 20, 2013 is: fraxinella • \frak-suh-NEL-uh\  • noun : a Eurasian perennial herb (Dictamnus albus) of the rue family with flowers that emit an aromatic flammable vapor in hot weather Examples: The green leaves and pink flowers of the fraxinella contrasted nicely with the silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers of the yarrow. "Few perennials don't benefit from frequent division-peonies and fraxinella (Dictammus) are rare exceptions…." - From Page Dickey's 2012 book Embroidered Ground: Revisiting the Garden Did you know? "Fraxinella" doesn't sound all that exciting-its name comes from the Latin word "fraxinus," meaning "ash tree," because its leaves resemble those of an ash tree-but two of its alternate names hint at what's unusual about the plant. Fraxinella is also called "gas plant" and "burning bush" because on a hot summer day the flowers emit a strong vapor that can be ignited. While fraxinella is native to Eurasia, Americans may see it in local gardens-so beware and keep sources of flame away from these perennials. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.