Definition

Noun 1. A specific flowering plant: "Chinese forget-me-not" is the common name for Cynoglossum amabile, a biennial herb native to East Asia. It is cultivated for its clusters of small, typically bright blue, five-petaled flowers.

Usage Notes

• This is a compound noun that functions as the common name for a specific plant species. It is often written with hyphens: "Chinese forget-me-not."
• The name is derived from the resemblance of its flowers to those of the true forget-me-not (), combined with its geographic origin.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The border was filled with the delicate blue blooms of the Chinese forget-me-not.
  • She planted Chinese forget-me-not seeds in the fall for spring flowers.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical and horticultural contexts, the Latin binomial is used for precise identification.
• The plant is also known informally as "Chinese hound's tongue," referencing its genus name , which means "dog's tongue" in Greek, describing the shape of its leaves.

Variants and Related Words

• Forget-me-not (Myosotis): A related but distinct genus of plants with similar-looking blue flowers.
• Cynoglossum amabile: The scientific name for the Chinese forget-me-not.

Synonyms

• Chinese hound's tongue (an alternative common name).

Noun

1. biennial east Asian herb grown for its usually bright blue flowers