dusty miller

dusty miller
    n 1: shrubby perennial of the Canary Islands having white
         flowers and leaves and hairy stems covered with dustlike
         down; sometimes placed in genus Chrysanthemum [syn: {dusty
         miller}, {silver-lace}, {silver lace}, {Tanacetum
         ptarmiciflorum}, {Chrysanthemum ptarmiciflorum}]
    2: stiff much-branched perennial of the Mediterranean region
       having very white woolly stems and leaves [syn: {dusty
       miller}, {Senecio cineraria}, {Cineraria maritima}]
    3: a plant having leaves and stems covered with down that
       resembles dust [syn: {dusty miller}, {Centaurea cineraria},
       {Centaurea gymnocarpa}]
    4: herb with greyish leaves found along the east coast of North
       America; used as an ornamental plant [syn: {dusty miller},
       {beach wormwood}, {old woman}, {Artemisia stelleriana}]
    5: an old cottage garden plant of southeastern Europe widely
       cultivated for its attractive white woolly foliage and showy
       crimson flowers [syn: {mullein pink}, {rose campion},
       {gardener's delight}, {dusty miller}, {Lychnis coronaria}]
    

dusty \dust"y\ (d[u^]st"[y^]), a. [Compar. {Dustier}
   (d[u^]st"[i^]*[~e]r); superl. {Dustiest}
   (d[u^]st"[i^]*[e^]st).] [AS. dystig. See {Dust}.]
   1. Filled, covered, or sprinkled with dust; clouded with
      dust; as, a dusty table; a dusty attic; also, reducing to
      dust.
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            And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
            The way to dusty death.               --Shak.
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   2. Like dust; of the color of dust; as, a dusty white.
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   {Dusty miller} (Bot.), a plant ({Cineraria maritima}); -- so
      called because of the ashy-white coating of its leaves.
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