designating a family (Nyctaginaceae, order Caryophyllales) of dicotyledonous plants, including the bougainvilleas
any of a genus (Mirabilis) of chiefly tropical American plants of the four-o'clock family, bearing petal-less flowers and, often, brightly colored leaves; esp., a garden plant (M. jalapa) with long-tubed blossoms that generally open in the late afternoon
