ProbableNamed from the place
marvel of Peru
noun · first attested 16th century
Its English name says Peru; its Latin name points at a town in Mexico.
The four o'clock flower, Mirabilis jalapa, a garden plant whose scented blooms open in late afternoon.
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- ProbableThe conventional story is likely, with caveats.
- Attested
- 16th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Peru
- In English
marvel of Peru
The plant reached European gardens from Spanish America in the sixteenth century and was sold as a marvel out of Peru, the name Spanish ships attached to a great deal of the continent. Its species name jalapa refers to Xalapa in Mexico, and botanists still disagree about where the wild ancestor actually grew.
Also pinned to Peru
1 more from the same place
Peru
All 5 entries