hīˈdrānjə sometimes -ran- or -raan-, chiefly in substand speech ˌhīdəˈr- noun
Etymology: New Latin, from hydr- + -angea (from Greek angeion vessel); probably from the shape of the seed capsule — more at angi-
1. capitalized : a large genus of widely distributed shrubs and one woody vine (family Saxifragaceae) with opposite leaves and corymbose clusters of usually showy flowers — compare hydrangeaceae
2. -s : a plant of the genus Hydrangea having ample white or tinted flower clusters in which all or most of the flowers are sterile: as
a. : a shrub ( H. macrophylla ) commonly grown in greenhouses
b. : a hardy fall-blooming shrub ( H. paniculata or its variety H. paniculata grandiflora )
3. : the dried rhizome and roots of the wild hydrangea ( Hydrangea arborescens ) formerly used in pharmacy as a diuretic