umbel

noun

um·bel | \ ˈəm-bəl

How to pronounce umbel (audio)

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Definition of umbel

: a racemose inflorescence typical of the carrot family in which the pedicels arise from about the same point to form a flat or rounded flower cluster — see inflorescence illustration

Examples of umbel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Come July or early August, the plant is covered by zillions of tiny white flowers arranged in umbrella-like affairs called umbels. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "A life-long love for 'weird' plants means our columnist is extra excited about 'Sun King'," 17 Apr. 2020 Clumps of Huachuca water umbel, an endangered plant with slender leaves, grow in wetlands by the river — one of more than 600 species of plants found along the San Pedro. — AZCentral.com, "It's one of Arizona's most precious rivers. Hundreds of new wells may leave it running dry," 5 Dec. 2019 Closer investigation showed them to be black swallowtail butterfly larvae, also known as parsley worms, which feed on the foliage of umbels — plants in the carrot/parsley/dill/fennel family with short flower stalks that spread from a common point. — Sally Mccabe, Philly.com, "June 15-21: In the garden, it's time to…," 15 June 2018 Cow parsley got a pass because of its irresistible floating clouds of umbels, but we were instructed to cut its numbers in half. — Amy Merrick, WSJ, "5 Lessons From the Punk Rockers of Gardening," 26 Apr. 2018 Its white flowers bloom in June or July and form an umbel pattern marked by several small blooms spreading out from a single point. — Donna Vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Column: Don't let wild parsnip, giant hogweed, poison ivy wreck your summer," 28 July 2017

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

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Cite this Entry

“Umbel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umbel. Accessed 27 Feb. 2021.

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