flora

noun flo·ra \ ˈflȯr-ə \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of flora

plural floras also florae play \ˈflȯr-ˌē, -ˌī\

1 : a treatise on or list of the plants of an area or period

2 : plant, bacterial, or fungal life; especially : such life characteristic of a region, period, or special environment

fossil flora

intestinal flora

— compare fauna

See flora defined for English-language learners

See flora defined for kids

Examples of flora in a Sentence

an amazing variety of coastal flora
the floras of different coastal regions

Recent Examples of flora from the Web

Among the local flora being used for the collaboration are edible violets, lavender, hibiscus, tangerine flower, passion flower, pansies, chamomile, rose elderflower and pollen.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Carlsbad plans flower-inspired events in April," 5 Apr. 2018
The four-bedroom house has a blocky facade and grassy cut-outs that provide gaps for the variety of flora to bloom and grow.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Modern concrete and wood house was designed around existing trees," 27 Mar. 2018
The 97-acre facility offers an excellent representation of the regional flora and fauna.

— scott craven, azcentral, "Spring break ideas for elementary school kids in Arizona," 9 Mar. 2018
Like little time capsules, each acrylic block safe-keeps the flora at its peak; Makoto manages to manipulate the inevitable, extend the ephemeral, and preserve a flower's fleeting beauty forever.

— lilah ramzi, Vogue, "An Artist Has Frozen Flowers in Time, and Now You Can Shop Them at Opening Ceremony," 9 Feb. 2018
Not only is the beauty of the flora captured, but the spirit of the fauna is expressed as well.

— homes & gardens of the northwest staff, OregonLive.com, "Garden book review: Walk through the beautiful pages of 'Living Forest'," 20 Mar. 2018
That suggests their effects on the brain could, in part, be a result of their influence on gut flora).

— The Economist, "Non-antibiotic drugs promote antibiotic resistance," 19 Mar. 2018
Towering slopes are filled with redwoods with a lavish array of flora on the forest floor that include expanses of ferns.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "No-name waterfall a prize find on Mendocino coast," 8 Mar. 2018
But, as temperatures cooled and dried out the landmass, the flora and fauna began to die off.

— gavin mouldey, National Geographic, "Extinct Burrowing Bat Discovered, and It Was Giant," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flora.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

flora Has Roots in Roman Mythology

Flora means "flower" in Latin, and Flora was the Roman goddess of spring and flowering plants, especially wildflowers and plants not raised for food. She was shown as a beautiful young woman in a long, flowing dress with flowers in her hair, strewing flowers over the earth. English preserves her name in such words as floral, floret, and flourish. A region's flora may range from tiny violets to towering trees. The common phrase "flora and fauna" covers just about every visible living thing.