Skip to main content
Butea frondosa

Butea frondosa

9.9
A tree from India that has bright orange-red soft flowers and gives a yellow dye
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : Butea frondosa
  • Textile workers traditionally used dye extracted from Butea frondosa to color fabrics yellow.

Examples

  • The Butea frondosa is celebrated for its striking vermilion blossoms during the spring.

  • In India, the Butea frondosa tree blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Many birds visit Butea frondosa trees to feed on their nectar-laden flowers.

  • The Butea frondosa is known for its vibrant flowers.

  • Textile workers traditionally used dye extracted from Butea frondosa to color fabrics yellow.

  • Many birds visit Butea frondosa trees to feed on their nectar-laden flowers.

  • The Butea frondosa is celebrated for its striking vermilion blossoms during the spring.

Synonyms

dak
vsButea frondosa
  • Indian
1 9.9

A tree in India with bright red flowers used to make yellow dye

is the alternative scientific name for the same tree
dhak
vsButea frondosa
  • Indian
9.9

A tree from East India with bright orange-red, velvety flowers used to make yellow dye

describes the colour as bright rather than intense
palas
vsButea frondosa
  • Indian
9.9

A tree from India with bright red flowers used to make a yellow dye

emphasizes the flowers more than the dye
Butea monosperma
vsButea frondosa
  • Indian
9.9

A tree from South Asia with bright orange-red flowers used to make yellow dye

calls it specifically East Indian rather than broadly South Asian

Surface Forms

Morphology

Butea + frondosa

This is a scientific Latin binomial (a proper name) whose full referential meaning (a specific East Indian tree with vermilion flowers and dye properties) is not derivable from the constituent parts by a B1 learner. Even if the learner recognised 'Butea' as a genus, the Latin epithet 'frondosa' is not a known English word and the botanical and cultural specifics cannot be predicted from the parts, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Butea frondosa is known for its bright, velvety orange-red flowers that look like small flames and for its many leaves. Because people used those flowers to make a strong 'yellow dye' for cloth, the name now makes people think of a South Asian tree used for color and beauty.