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Virgatus

/vir-GAH-tus/
🏷️ Taxonomy●●● Advanced

Also known as: virgata, virgatum

A morphological epithet describing a plant with long, slender, rod-like or wand-like stems or branches. Plants with this epithet often have an airy, wispy quality and create movement in the garden. Appears as virgatus (masculine), virgata (feminine), or virgatum (neuter).

Etymology

From Latin virgatus, meaning "made of twigs" or "striped," from virga (a twig, rod, wand).

Example

Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) is named for its tall, wand-like stems that sway gracefully in the breeze, and Genista virgata has the same characteristic slender, twiggy branch structure.

Example Plant

🌿Panicum virgatum shenandoah