Spiraea

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

spiraea
    n 1: a Japanese shrub that resembles members of the genus
         Spiraea; widely cultivated in many varieties for its dense
         panicles of flowers in many colors; often forced by
         florists for Easter blooming [syn: {spirea}, {spiraea},
         {Astilbe japonica}]
    2: any rosaceous plant of the genus Spiraea; has sprays of small
       white or pink flowers [syn: {spirea}, {spiraea}]
    3: a dicotyledonous genus of the family Rosaceae [syn:
       {Spiraea}, {genus Spiraea}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Spiraea \Spi*rae"a\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ???, fr. ??? a coil.]
   (Bot.)
   A genus of shrubs or perennial herbs including the
   meadowsweet and the hardhack.
   [1913 Webster]