mirabilis jalapa

Mirabilis jalapa
    n 1: common garden plant of North America having fragrant red or
         purple or yellow or white flowers that open in late
         afternoon [syn: {common four-o'clock}, {marvel-of-Peru},
         {Mirabilis jalapa}, {Mirabilis uniflora}]
    

Jalap \Jal"ap\, n. [F., fr. Sp. jalapa; -- so called from
   Jalapa, a town in Mexico, whence it was first obtained.]
   (Med.)
   The tubers of the Mexican plant {Ipom[oe]a purga} (or
   {Exogonium purga}) of the family {Convolvulaceae}, a climber
   much like the morning-glory. The abstract, extract, and
   powder, prepared from the tubers, are well known purgative
   (cathartic) medicines, and are also called jalap. Other
   species of {Ipom[oe]a} yield several inferior kinds of jalap,
   as the {Ipom[oe]a Orizabensis}, and {Ipom[oe]a tuberosa}.
   [1913 Webster]

   {False jalap}, the root of {Mirabilis Jalapa}, four-o'clock,
      or marvel of Peru.
      [1913 Webster]
    

marvel of Peru \marvel of Peru\, marvel-of-Peru \marvel-of-Peru\
   n. (Bot.)
   A common garden plant ({Mirabilis jalapa} or {Mirabilis
   uniflora}) of North America having fragrant red or purple or
   yellow or white flowers that open in late afternoon; called
   also {four-o'clock}. See {four-o'clock}.

   Syn: common four-o'clock, marvel of Peru, {Mirabilis jalapa},
        {Mirabilis uniflora}.
        [WordNet 1.5]