petunia Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of numerous tropical herbs having fluted funnel-shaped flowers
  2. noun annual or perennial herbs or shrubs of tropical South America
    genus Petunia.

WordNet

Pe*tu"ni*a noun
Etymology
NL., fr. Braz. petun tobacco.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A genus of solanaceous herbs with funnelform or salver-shaped corollas. Two species are common in cultivation, Petunia violacera, with reddish purple flowers, and P. nyctaginiflora, with white flowers. There are also many hybrid forms with variegated corollas.

Webster 1913