California four o'clock

9.1

A wildflower with purple-red flowers that open in the late afternoon

noun
/ˌkælɪˈfɔrnɪə fɔr əˈklɒk/

: cuatro en punto de California

She identified the plant as a California four o'clock because of its distinctive purple-red flowers.

Examples

Wild California four o'clock can be spotted along the coastal trails in spring.
The garden is full of California four o'clocks blooming in the late afternoon.
The California four o'clock blooms beautifully in the summer.
Have you seen the California four o'clock in my garden?
The garden is full of California four o'clocks blooming in the late afternoon.
She identified the plant as a California four o'clock because of its distinctive purple-red flowers.
Wild California four o'clock can be spotted along the coastal trails in spring.

Synonyms

Mirabilis californica

vsCalifornia four o'clock

Specialized

9.9

A California plant with purple red flowers that open in the late afternoon

is the common name for that identical species

Mirabilis laevis

vsCalifornia four o'clock

Specialized

9.9

A flowering plant native to California and nearby areas with purple red flowers

is the name for the specific species native to that region only

Surface Forms

California four o'clock singular

California four o'clocks plural

Morphology

California + four + o'clock

This is a lexicalized plant name composed of a place name plus the time-expression 'four o'clock'; knowing 'California', 'four' and 'o'clock' does not transparently yield the meaning 'a species of flowering plant'. The plant sense of 'four o'clock' is a conventional common-name usage (flowers opening around 4 pm) that is culturally/lexically specific and therefore not predictable to a B1 learner from the constituents alone.

Etymology

California four o'clock may get its name from the way its flowers open in the late afternoon, usually around four o'clock. That's why the name now refers to this plant with purple-red flowers.