Adiantum capillus-veneris
- noun
- Specialized
:
Adiantum capillus-veneris
- Gardeners often grow Adiantum capillus-veneris indoors as an ornamental houseplant due to its attractive foliage.
Examples
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The shady corner of the greenhouse was filled with Adiantum capillus-veneris thriving in the moist air.
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She identified the delicate black stems as belonging to Adiantum capillus-veneris during her botany fieldwork.
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The Adiantum capillus-veneris thrives in moist, shaded areas.
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You can often find Adiantum capillus-veneris in tropical regions.
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Many people use Adiantum capillus-veneris in their home gardens for its delicate, fern-like appearance.
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During her hike, she spotted a cluster of Adiantum capillus-veneris growing by the stream.
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The Adiantum capillus-veneris ferns added a touch of elegance to the botanical display.
Synonyms
A delicate fern with thin shiny black stalks and small leaves that grows in moist shade
A delicate fern with thin shiny black leaf stalks and bending leaves that grows in shade near water
A small fern with fine feathery leaves and shiny black stems that grows in wet shade
A small delicate fern with shiny black stalks and feathery leaves
A delicate fern with thin shiny black leaf stalks that grows in wet forests
Surface Forms
Morphology
Adiantum + capillus-veneris
The phrase is a botanical Latin binomial combining the genus name Adiantum (a type of maidenhair fern) with a species epithet. A learner who knows the genus can therefore infer it refers to a particular kind of Adiantum (i.e. a specific fern), but the species epithet 'capillus-veneris' is Latin and not listed in the provided dictionary, so its descriptive sense ('Venus's hair' or finer morphological detail) is not derivable for a B1 learner. This yields partial transparency: class membership is clear but the specific meaning is not.
Etymology
Adiantum capillus-veneris gets its name from old words that describe the fern's look. Adiantum comes from a Greek word meaning 'not wet' because the leaves do not stay wet, and capillus-veneris means 'hair of Venus' because the thin black stems and tiny leaf parts look like delicate hair, so the name helps you picture this fragile fern.
