Araucaria excelsa

9.9

A tall evergreen tree like a pine often grown for decoration

noun

Specialized

: Araucaria excelsa

Many people keep a potted Araucaria excelsa as a decorative houseplant.

Examples

The Araucaria excelsa can grow to impressive heights when planted outdoors.
The unique, symmetrical shape of the Araucaria excelsa makes it popular during the holiday season.
Look at that Araucaria excelsa!
The Araucaria excelsa is a stunning addition to any garden.
Many people keep a potted Araucaria excelsa as a decorative houseplant.
The Araucaria excelsa can grow to impressive heights when planted outdoors.
The unique, symmetrical shape of the Araucaria excelsa makes it popular during the holiday season.

Synonyms

Araucaria heterophylla

vsAraucaria excelsa

Specialized

9.9

A tall evergreen tree with a straight trunk often grown as a house or garden plant

is the common everyday name used for the same ornamental plant

Norfolk Island pine

vsAraucaria excelsa

Australian

7.7

A tall evergreen tree from Norfolk Island often grown as a house plant or decoration

is the ordinary name stressing horticultural or ornamental use rather than label

Surface Forms

Araucaria excelsa singular

Araucaria excelsas plural

Morphology

Araucaria + excelsa

This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic) name rather than an everyday compositional phrase; its specific meaning (the Norfolk Island pine, a particular species) is lexicalized and not built from ordinary English word senses. While 'Araucaria' may signal a genus of trees, the species epithet 'excelsa' is a Latin form that B1 learners will not interpret productively, so the full referent cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Araucaria excelsa mixes a place name and a Latin word: Araucaria may come from Araucanía, a region where related trees grow, and excelsa is Latin for 'tall'. So the name fits this tall evergreen, often called the 'Norfolk Island pine', and helps you remember it as a high, ornamental tree.