Calvary clover
- noun
- The fields were dotted with Calvary clover, its leaves flecked with distinctive dark spots.
Examples
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The Calvary clover is known for its spiny seed pods that aid in seed dispersal.
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In Mediterranean gardens, Calvary clover often appears as a hardy, self-seeding annual.
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Botanists studied the Calvary clover to understand the adaptation of its spiny seed pods.
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The Calvary clover thrives in dry, sunny areas.
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Have you seen a Calvary clover before?
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In Mediterranean gardens, Calvary clover often appears as a hardy, self-seeding annual.
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The fields were dotted with Calvary clover, its leaves flecked with distinctive dark spots.
Synonyms
An annual plant native to the Mediterranean with spiny seed pods and leaves with dark spots
A small annual plant from the Mediterranean with spiny seed pods and spotted clover-like leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'Calvary' and 'clover' can reliably infer this is a type or variety of clover (the category is compositional), so part of the meaning is transparent. However, the specific diagnostic properties (spiny seed pods, leaves with dark spots) and the reason for the 'Calvary' modifier are not predictable from the constituents, making the full sense only partially deducible.
Etymology
Calvary clover may get its name from the plant's spiny seed pods that look like a tiny 'crown of thorns' linked to Calvary, while its leaves look like ordinary clover with dark spots. So the name helps you remember a clover with sharp pods and spotted leaves.