California fern
- noun
- US
:
helecho de California
- The leaves of the California fern are beautiful but potentially deadly if ingested.
Examples
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You can sometimes find California fern growing in moist, shaded areas along the coast.
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Despite its name, the California fern is not a true fern but resembles one in appearance.
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The California fern is known for its toxic properties.
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Did you know that the California fern can be deadly?
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The leaves of the California fern are beautiful but potentially deadly if ingested.
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The California fern is known for its toxic properties, making it dangerous to pets and children.
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You can sometimes find California fern growing in moist, shaded areas along the coast, but be cautious of its poison.
Synonyms
A large plant with leaves like a fern and white flowers with all parts very poisonous
A plant with large fern-like leaves that is very poisonous and grows in wet places
A very poisonous European and African plant with fernlike leaves and white flower clusters in damp places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines a place name 'California' plus the head noun 'fern', so its basic meaning — a type or variety of fern associated with California — is directly derivable from the constituents. While specific botanical details (biennial habit, toxicity) are not predictable from the words alone, the referential category (a kind of fern) is transparent to learners who know both words.
Etymology
California fern may come from people seeing a leafy plant in California that looked like a fern. California points to where it grows and fern to its fern-like leaves, so the name creates an image that helps you remember it is 'not a true fern' and is 'poisonous'.
