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Glite Dictionary
Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

9.9
A tropical shrub like a small tree with bright orange, red and yellow flowers grown in gardens
  • noun
  • /ˌsiːzəlˈpɪniə pʌlˈkɛrɪmə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Caesalpinia pulcherrima
  • The bright orange flowers of Caesalpinia pulcherrima attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Examples

  • The garden is famous for its vibrant Caesalpinia pulcherrima blooming throughout the summer.

  • We planted a Caesalpinia pulcherrima to add color to our backyard.

  • The Caesalpinia pulcherrima blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • I planted a Caesalpinia pulcherrima in my garden.

  • The bright orange flowers of Caesalpinia pulcherrima attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

  • The garden is famous for its vibrant Caesalpinia pulcherrima blooming throughout the summer.

  • We planted a Caesalpinia pulcherrima to add color to our backyard.

Synonyms

pride of Barbados
vsCaesalpinia pulcherrima
  • US
9.8

A tropical bush or small tree with bright red and yellow flowers

is the botanical label for the same ornamental shrub rather than the common name
Poinciana pulcherrima
vsCaesalpinia pulcherrima
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical small tree with bright orange-red flowers grown in gardens

is the formal species name rather than this common variant label
Barbados pride
vsCaesalpinia pulcherrima
  • UK
9.9

A small tree with bright red and yellow flowers often grown in gardens for its beauty

refers to a similar ornamental shrub typically with stronger yellow to orange-red flowers
peacock flower
vsCaesalpinia pulcherrima
  • Australian
8.6

A tropical tree or shrub that has large red and orange flower clusters

applies to a related ornamental shrub with different origin and usually yellow to orange flowers

Surface Forms

Caesalpinia pulcherrima singular
Caesalpinia pulcherrimas plural

Morphology

Caesalpinia + pulcherrima

This is a Latin binomial: the genus 'Caesalpinia' signals a tropical shrub/tree with showy flowers (a clue a B1 learner can use), but the species epithet 'pulcherrima' is a Latin adjective (not a common English word and absent from the provided dictionary). Because the specific descriptive element is not accessible to typical B1 learners, the overall name gives a partial clue (plant with showy/beautiful flowers) but the exact nuance is not fully derivable.

Etymology

Caesalpinia pulcherrima may come from the name of a plant scientist long ago, Caesalpinus, plus the Latin word pulcherrima, which means 'most beautiful'. So the name points to the showy 'peacock flower', a plant known for very bright, beautiful blooms.