Arctostaphylos alpina
- noun
- Specialized
:
Arctostaphylos alpina
- The leaves of Arctostaphylos alpina turn a striking red in the autumn months.
Examples
-
The berries produced by Arctostaphylos alpina are often eaten by birds and small mammals.
-
The Arctostaphylos alpina is often found in rocky alpine areas.
-
Scientists discovered a patch of Arctostaphylos alpina while surveying the alpine tundra.
-
In the fall, the Arctostaphylos alpina turns a vibrant red.
-
While hiking in the mountains, we spotted a beautiful patch of Arctostaphylos alpina with its bright red leaves.
-
The small red berries from the Arctostaphylos alpina are a favorite food source for many alpine birds.
-
During autumn, the foliage of Arctostaphylos alpina transforms into a stunning red, adding color to the landscape.
Synonyms
A low shrub that grows close to the ground in mountains and has red autumn leaves and dark berries
A low creeping shrub with black berries that turns red in autumn
Surface Forms
Morphology
Arctostaphylos + alpina
This is a botanical Latin binomial combining the genus name Arctostaphylos (a heath-family shrub) with the specific epithet 'alpina', which corresponds to 'alpine' or 'of the mountains'. If a learner knows both constituents, the compound meaning — an Arctostaphylos species from alpine regions — is directly derivable, so the expression is transparent.
Etymology
Arctostaphylos alpina comes from old Greek and Latin words: arcto meaning 'bear' and staphylos meaning 'bunch of grapes', because its small berries look like tiny grapes that animals sometimes eat. Alpina means 'from high mountains', so the full name tells us this is a mountain shrub with dark berries.
