† king plantn. [after Sinhala vana rāja ( < Sanskrit vana rāja, lit. ‘king of the woods’)] Obsoleterare a tropical Asian orchid, Anoectochilus setaceus, having purplish leaves with a network of gold veins.
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1845 Compan. Bot. Mag. 18 in Curtis's Bot. Mag.71 The ‘King plant’ of Ceylon Anæctochilus setaceus.., which has rich velvety leaves, covered, as it were, with a net-work of golden lace.