As a species name, means “shining or glistening.” For example, the perennial black-eyed Susan or coneflower, Rudbeckia fulgida, has shiny gold ray florets (often mistakenly called petals).

Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.