# flora

/ˈfɫɔɹə/ (US) · /flˈɔːɹɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flora
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. plants of a region

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic · Technical

all the plants that grow in a particular area or during a specific time in history.

For teachers: the collective plant life of a specific geographic region or geological era.

- The local flora includes many rare flowers that only grow in this valley.
- The botanist spent years documenting the alpine flora, noting how rising temperatures were pushing certain species to higher altitudes.

Usage: Often paired with 'fauna' to describe all living things in an area.

Teaching tip: Learners should remember that 'flora' refers to plants, while 'fauna' refers to animals.

### 2. body bacteria

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

the tiny organisms, like bacteria, that live naturally in or on a part of the body.

For teachers: the complex community of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, inhabiting a specific site in a host organism.

- Eating yogurt can help maintain a healthy balance of gut flora.
- Antibiotics can sometimes disrupt the natural intestinal flora, leading to secondary digestive complications for the patient.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'gut flora' or 'intestinal flora'.

Teaching tip: In modern medical contexts, 'microbiota' is becoming more common, but 'flora' remains standard in general health discussions.

### 3. a book about plants

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

a book or list that describes all the plants found in a certain place.

For teachers: a systematic treatise or catalogue describing the plants of a particular region or period.

- He consulted a local flora to identify the strange tree in his garden.
- The library holds a rare eighteenth-century flora containing hand-painted illustrations of every species found in the county.

Usage: Usually used with a capital letter when referring to the title of a specific book.

Teaching tip: This is a very specific academic use; most learners will simply use 'field guide' or 'botany book'.

## Examples

- The local flora includes many rare desert flowers.
- Researchers spent three years documenting the unique flora found only on the remote volcanic islands.
- The study examines how the native flora adapted to the increasingly arid conditions of the late Cretaceous period, leading to the dominance of flowering plants.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.