nicotiana

noun

ni·​co·​ti·​a·​na ni-ˌkō-shē-ˈa-nə  -ˈä-nə 

-ˈā-nə

: any of several tobaccos (such as Nicotiana alata) grown for their showy flowers

Examples of nicotiana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In my garden, dill and nicotiana take top honors for excess. —Margaret Roach, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2020

Other annuals that self-sow are Verbena bonariensis (tall verbena), nicotiana, calendula and various poppies (including the breadseed or opium poppy, Papaver somniferum). —Margaret Roach, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2020

Flowers to start: Asters, nicotiana, cleome, ice plant, zinnia, salpiglossis, schizanthus, nigella, phlox, nemesia, marigold, nasturtiums Geese, seagulls, thrushes: This is the week! —Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Apr. 2020

Among flowers, good bets are breadseed or ladybird poppies, California poppies, foxglove, nigella, columbine, nicotiana, bachelor’s buttons, cosmos, coreopsis, calendula and scabiosa. —Pam Peirce, SFChronicle.com, 6 July 2018

Try planting dahlia, French marigold, nicotiana, evening primrose, thyme, raspberry, or honeysuckle. —Emily O'Brien, Good Housekeeping, 20 Oct. 2016

Indicator proteins glow under ultraviolet light on the leaves of the nicotiana benthamiana plant, which is a close relative of tobacco, as a means to assess the success of bacteria spread at Icon Genetics, August 14, 2014, in Halle, Germany. —Zoë Schlanger, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2014

For spring and summer flowers, plant seed for aster, cornflower, cosmos, larkspur, nasturtium, nicotiana, periwinkle, portulaca, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, verbena and zinnias. —Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 2 Mar. 2018

Cyclamen, foxglove, nicotiana, forget-me-not, lobelia and primrose are good for the shadier spots (about two hours of direct sun or dappled light). —NOLA.com, 28 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from herba nicotiana, literally, Nicot's herb, from Jean Nicot †1600 French diplomat and scholar

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Nicotiana

noun

Ni·​co·​ti·​ana ni-ˌkō-shē-ˈan-ə 

: a genus of American and Asian herbs or shrubs of the family Solanaceae that have viscid foliage, tubular flowers, and a many-seeded capsule and that include the cultivated tobacco (N. tabacum)