redbird cactus

English

Etymology

Named for the appearance of its flower clusters, resembling small birds gathered around a birdfeeder.

Noun

redbird cactus (uncountable)

  1. devil's backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides)
    Synonyms: slipperflower, zigzag plant
    • 1998, Robert Stone, Bear and His Daughter: Stories, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 61:
      Jungle clung to the canyons, but there were broad expanses of brushland grown with mesquite and agave and flowering redbird cactus.
    • 2012 August 15, Nellie Neal, “Devil's Backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides)”, in Gardener's Guide to Tropical Plants: Cool Ways to Add Hot Colors, Bold Foliage, and Striking Textures, Cool Springs Press, →ISBN, page 105:
      Some say the flowers of devil's backbone look like cardinals perched around a feeder, each flower a long-tailed red teardrop that gives rise to another common name, red bird cactus.

Hypernyms

Translations

References

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