aandblom, noun

/ˈɑːntblɔm/
Forms:
α. avondbloem, avond-bloomShow more avondbloem, avond-bloom, avont-bloem;
β. aandbloem, aandblomShow more aandbloem, aandblom, aantblom.
Also with initial capital.
Plurals:
aandblomme, aandbloms, or unchanged.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African Dutch, DutchShow more Afrikaans, earlier South African Dutch avondbloem, from Dutch avond evening + bloem flower.
Any of several species of plant of the Iridaceae having flowers which exude a strong scent at dusk and in the evening, especially those of the genera Gladiolus (see gladiolus), Hesperantha, and Ixia (see ixia); aandblommetjie; evening flower.
α.
1795 C.R. Hopson tr. of C.P. Thunberg’s Trav. I. 286The Ixia cinnamomea (Avondbloem, Canelbloem) opens every evening at four, and exhales its agreeable odours through the whole night.
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 186It being then nearly dusk, the delightful fragrance of the Avond-bloem (evening flower) began to fill the air, and led to the discovery of the plants.
1834 Makanna (anon.) II. 149The rich jasmine-like fragrance of the ‘avond-bloem’, came in luscious breathings from the more deep and shadowy glens.
1847 J. Barrow Autobiog. Memoir 218Above all..must be noticed a beautiful little humble ixia, which the Dutch call the avond-bloom (the evening flower); it is the modest Ixia cinnamomea, which, having concealed itself during the day within its brown calyx, now expands its small white blossoms, and perfumes the air, throughout the night, with its fragrant odour.
1904 Argus Christmas Annual (Cape Colony Sect.) 20The scent of the avond-bloom, whose modest brown bells perfume the air.
1913 H. Tucker Our Beautiful Peninsula 92The sanguine-stained ‘painted lady,’ as she usurps with her flaunting gaiety the slopes over which her sad-hued, divinely-scented cousin, the avondbloem, held inconspicuous sway.
1927 Chambers’s Jrnl (U.K.) Mar. 190Wild flowers, from the stately arum lily..to the modest avondbloem, which at night perfumed the whole veld with its fragrance.
β.
1890 A. Martin Home Life 21Another of our favourites was the aantblom..whose lovely flowers range through all possible shades of rose-colour and orange, from the deepest to the palest tints of pink and yellow, down to the purest white.
1932 Grocott’s Daily Mail 9 Jan. 3The flowers which form the subject of these delightful fantasies are Flames, Morning Flowers, Aandbloem.
1964 J. Meintjes Manor House 35The exotic aandblom, or evening flower, which opened at night and permeated the house with its delicious fragrance.
1988 Le Roux & Schelpe Namaqualand 58Hesperantha bachmannii, Aandblom. This plant name has changed from Hesperantha angusta...Found in Namaqualand..and also eastwards to Somerset East.
1988 Le Roux & Schelpe Namaqualand 150Sutera tristis, Aandblom,..The flowers give off a strong scent at dusk.
1991 Weekend Post 6 Apr. (Leisure) 7In the Tsitsikamma we used to find aandblomme growing in profusion amongst the grasses on the sandy flats near the mouth of the Groot River...The blooms of G. liliaceus are brownish in colour, changing to purple or mauve in the evenings when they also have a very strong perfume. Another aandblom (Gladiolus tristis) has pale cream or greenish-yellow blooms with purple or brown markings running from the tips of the petals into the throat of the bloom. They become heavily scented at night.
Any of several species of plant of the Iridaceae having flowers which exude a strong scent at dusk and in the evening, especially those of the genera Gladiolus (see gladiolus), Hesperantha, and Ixia (see ixia); aandblommetjie; evening flower.
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AAC, nounn.aandblommetjie, nounn.
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