Bryonia alba
- noun
- Specialized
:
Bryonia alba
- Bryonia alba is a climbing plant with white flowers that can often be found in gardens.
Examples
-
The roots of Bryonia alba have been used in traditional remedies, though they can be toxic.
-
Gardeners sometimes try to eradicate Bryonia alba due to its aggressive growth.
-
Bryonia alba is considered invasive in some regions of North America.
-
The Bryonia alba plant is known for its medicinal properties.
-
Have you seen a Bryonia alba growing in the wild?
-
The thick roots of Bryonia alba are sometimes used in herbal medicine.
-
Bryonia alba produces small black berries that are not safe to eat.
Synonyms
A climbing plant with white flowers, a thick root, and small black berries
A climbing vine with white flowers, thick roots, and small black poisonous berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
Bryonia + alba
The binomial combines the genus name 'Bryonia' (a climbing perennial herb) with the specific epithet 'alba', which in Latin means 'white', so the phrase transparently denotes the white-flowered/white form of Bryonia. Botanical Latin is compositional (noun + descriptive adjective) and this logic is consistent across languages, meaning a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Bryonia alba comes from old Greek and Latin words: Bryonia refers to a Greek word meaning 'to swell', for the plant's thick roots, and alba is Latin for 'white', for its white flowers. So the name describes a climbing plant with swollen roots and white flowers.
