Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2024 is: flora \FLOR-uh\ noun

Flora refers to all the plants that live in a particular area, time, period, or environment. It can also be used broadly to refer to plant, bacterial, or fungal life.

// Lisa admired the aquatic flora in the pond as she gazed out at the horizon.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flora)

Examples:

“South Africa is endowed with a rich wealth of flora and is often acclaimed as a biodiversity hotspot. Thousands of plants are used for traditional medicine for the management of diverse health conditions.” — Tshepiso Ndhlovu et al., The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2024

Did you know?

You may be familiar with the common phrase “flora and fauna,” which broadly refers to just about every visible living thing. While fauna specifically refers to the animals of a region, flora represents the plants. Flora made its way into English from New Latin via the Latin word flōra, which comes from the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and the [flowering season](https://www.britannica.com/science/spring-season) (the time of the year when flowers bloom). [Flora](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Flora-Roman-mythology), who was depicted as a beautiful young woman in a long, flowing dress with flowers in her hair, strewing flowers over the earth, was especially known for wildflowers and plants not raised for food. Her name also lives on and continues to thrive through the related words [floral](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floral), [floret](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floret), and [flourish](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish).