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sanvitalia

noun san·vi·ta·lia \ ˌsanvəˈtālēə \

Definition of sanvitalia

1 capitalized : a small genus of chiefly tropical American annual herbs (family Compositae) having small heads with yellow or white rays, a flat receptacle, and naked or awn-tipped achenes — see creeping zinnia

2 plural -s : any plant of the genus Sanvitalia

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Origin and Etymology of sanvitalia

New Latin, probably from F. Sanvitali †1761 Italian mathematician (or from the Sanvitali family, many of whose members were famous) + New Latin -ia

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