Dictionary
loose'strife fam"ily
the plant family Lythraceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees having usually opposite or whorled, simple leaves, clusters of flowers, and fruit in the form of a capsule, and including the crape myrtle, loosestrifes of the genus
Lythrum, and the henna shrub.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.