FLORA, Italian goddess of flowers, later identified with the Greek Chloris. Her festival at Rome, the Floralia, instituted 238 B.C. by order of the Sibylline books and at first held irregularly, became annual after '73 B.C. It lasted six days (April 28—May 3), the first day being the anniversary of the foundation of her temple. It included theatrical performances characterized by licentious ness. She herself is an original Roman goddess (indiges), for she has a flamen (Ovid, Fasti, v. 183 et seq.; Tacitus, Annals, ii. 49).
The term "flora" is used in botany collectively for the plant growth of a district.