Hemerocallidaceae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family of flowering plants commonly known as daylilies, characterized by their showy blooms and long-lasting flowers that open for a single day
2. This botanical group consists of perennial plants that produce beautiful, trumpet-shaped flowers, typically opening during the day and fading by night
3. Members of this family are noted for their vibrant flowers and adaptability, often cultivated for ornamental purposes in gardens and landscapes

Etymology: Hemerocallidaceae is built from two Greek roots: "hēmera" meaning "day" and "kallos" meaning "beauty," which together give "beautiful for a day." The name refers to the daylily, whose individual blooms typically open in the morning and fade by evening, so each flower lasts only a single day even though the plant keeps producing new buds. The family name is a botanical coinage rather than an ancient word. Its core is the genus "Hemerocallis," the scientific name for the daylily, to which the suffix "-aceae" is added. That suffix is the standard ending for plant family names in modern taxonomy, so the word follows the same pattern as names such as Rosaceae, the rose family.

Synonyms: daylilies, hemerocallis family, flowering plants, perennials, ornamental plants