gloriosa
/glor-ee-OH-sa/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: gloriosus, gloriosum
An aesthetic epithet reserved for species of unusual splendour, applied where a plant's flowering or overall bearing struck its describer as magnificent rather than merely handsome. It is a judgement of display rather than a technical character, so it records no particular structure. Appears as gloriosus (masculine), gloriosa (feminine), or gloriosum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin gloriosus, meaning "glorious."
Example
“Yucca gloriosa var. tristis (weeping yucca) and Ceanothus gloriosus (Point Reyes ceanothus) both carry the epithet, the ending shifting to agree with the gender of the genus.”