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Glite Dictionary
Brunfelsia americana

Brunfelsia americana

9.9
A tropical bush with strong, sweet-smelling yellow-white flowers that open at night
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Brunfelsia americana
  • Gardeners prize Brunfelsia americana for its showy, fragrant blossoms that bloom at night.

Examples

  • The botanical garden is home to a rare Brunfelsia americana with remarkable flowers.

  • Researchers studied the medicinal properties of Brunfelsia americana in tropical environments.

  • Gardeners prize Brunfelsia americana for its showy, fragrant blossoms that bloom at night.

  • The Brunfelsia americana blooms beautifully in the garden.

  • Many gardeners love the Brunfelsia americana for its fragrance.

  • The botanical garden features a stunning display of Brunfelsia americana known for its yellowish-white flowers.

  • Many gardeners appreciate Brunfelsia americana because of its delightful scent and beautiful blooms.

Synonyms

lady-of-the-night
vsBrunfelsia americana
  • US
9.9

A bush with pale, sweet-smelling flowers that open at night

is the formal botanical name and lacks the note about night blooming

Surface Forms

Brunfelsia americana singular
Brunfelsia americanas plural

Morphology

Brunfelsia + americana

This is a botanical binomial combining the genus name Brunfelsia (a tropical shrub) with the adjectival epithet 'americana' (meaning 'American' or 'from the Americas'). A B1 learner who knows these constituents can readily infer it denotes a Brunfelsia species from the Americas, so the meaning is transparently compositional and follows a cross-linguistically common naming pattern.

Etymology

Brunfelsia americana comes from Brunfelsia, named for the German plant expert Otto Brunfels, and the species word americana, which means 'from the Americas'. So the name gives a simple image of a plant linked to Brunfels and to the Americas, helping you remember it is a West Indian shrub.