Aeschynanthus radicans

9.9

A small hanging houseplant that has thick leaves and bright red flowers called the lipstick plant

noun

Specialized

: Aeschynanthus radicans

The Aeschynanthus radicans is commonly called the lipstick plant due to its tubular red flowers.

Examples

Many gardeners love to display Aeschynanthus radicans in hanging baskets indoors.
Because it thrives in humid conditions, Aeschynanthus radicans is perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.
Look at my Aeschynanthus radicans!
This Aeschynanthus radicans is beautiful.
Because it thrives in humid conditions, Aeschynanthus radicans is perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.
Many gardeners love to display Aeschynanthus radicans in hanging baskets indoors.
The Aeschynanthus radicans is commonly called the lipstick plant due to its tubular red flowers.

Synonyms

lipstick plant

vsAeschynanthus radicans

6.8

A small plant from warm countries with thick leaves and bright red tube flowers kept indoors

is a more geographically specific plant from Malaysia rather than generally tropical

Surface Forms

Aeschynanthus radicans singular

Aeschynanthus radicanses plural

Morphology

Aeschynanthus + radicans

This is a scientific binomial (genus + species) functioning as a proper name for a particular plant; its referent is a learned taxonomic label rather than a compositional English phrase, so a B1 learner would not derive the plant meaning from the parts. The genus 'Aeschynanthus' is a specialised botanical label and 'radicans' is Latin (no standard English gloss provided), so the combination is not transparently interpretable by learners.

Etymology

Aeschynanthus radicans gets its name from how it grows and looks: its bright, tube-shaped red flowers look like a stick of lipstick, so people call it the 'lipstick plant'. The word radicans means 'rooting' because its stems creep and put down roots as they hang, so the name points to both its bright flowers and its creeping habit.