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Glite Dictionary
Bessera elegans

Bessera elegans

9.9
A Mexican garden plant with drooping clusters of red and white flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Bessera elegans
  • The drooping umbels of Bessera elegans make it a favorite in ornamental gardens.

Examples

  • Gardeners often plant Bessera elegans for its striking red-and-white blossoms.

  • Native to Mexico, Bessera elegans thrives in warm, sunny locations.

  • The Bessera elegans blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Have you seen the Bessera elegans at the botanical garden?

  • Gardeners often plant Bessera elegans for its striking red-and-white blossoms.

  • The drooping umbels of Bessera elegans make it a favorite in ornamental gardens.

  • Native to Mexico, Bessera elegans thrives in warm, sunny locations.

Synonyms

coral drops
vsBessera elegans
  • US
9.9

A Mexican plant with hanging clusters of bright red and white flowers

has identical meaning but serves as the formal scientific name

Surface Forms

Bessera elegans singular
Bessera eleganses plural

Morphology

Bessera + elegans

This is a scientific binomial: 'Bessera' is a genus name and 'elegans' is a Latin species epithet (not a regular English word here). The label functions as a proper name rather than a compositional phrase, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive that it denotes a half-hardy Mexican herb with showy flowers. Botanical Latin names are language-specific labels and therefore opaque to learners.

Etymology

Bessera elegans is named for its look: elegans means 'elegant', and the plant makes hanging groups of bright red-and-white flowers that look very pretty. So the name helps you remember it is a Mexican herb grown for its showy, drooping flowers.