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Glite Dictionary
Cardiospermum halicacabum

Cardiospermum halicacabum

9.9
A fast-growing climbing plant with delicate vines and balloon-shaped seed pods
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cardiospermum halicacabum
  • Gardeners admire Cardiospermum halicacabum for its unique balloon-shaped pods and quick-growing vines.

Examples

  • The seeds of Cardiospermum halicacabum are often used in traditional medicine across Asia.

  • The Cardiospermum halicacabum is known for its unique seed pods.

  • During the summer, Cardiospermum halicacabum can quickly cover fences and trellises with its delicate foliage.

  • Look at that Cardiospermum halicacabum!

  • During the summer, Cardiospermum halicacabum can quickly cover fences and trellises with its delicate foliage.

  • Gardeners admire Cardiospermum halicacabum for its unique balloon-shaped pods and quick-growing vines.

  • The Cardiospermum halicacabum is a popular choice for ornamental gardens due to its striking appearance.

Synonyms

balloon vine
vsCardiospermum halicacabum
  • US
8.3

A climbing plant with woody stems and round seed pods like small balloons

is the scientific name for the same perennial climbing plant
heart pea
vsCardiospermum halicacabum
  • US
9.9

A climbing plant with woody stems and large balloon-shaped seed pods

refers to the identical species but using the botanical term
heartseed
vsCardiospermum halicacabum
9.9

A climbing plant from the tropics in America and Africa with small seed pods like balloons often grown in gardens

refers to a similar plant but with larger pods and wider distribution

Surface Forms

Cardiospermum halicacabum singular
Cardiospermum halicacabums plural

Morphology

Cardiospermum + halicacabum

This is a scientific Latin binomial that functions as a proper name for a species rather than a compositional English phrase; knowing the genus label 'Cardiospermum' and an unknown epithet 'halicacabum' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the full descriptive meaning. The second element is not a recognized English word and taxonomic names are language-neutral labels, so the overall meaning is not derivable from the constituent words.

Etymology

Cardiospermum halicacabum gets its scientific name from old words: cardio- means 'heart' and -spermum means 'seed', because the seeds look like tiny hearts. The second part, halicacabum, may come from an old Greek name for the plant, so the full name points to the climbing vine with heart-shaped seeds and the balloon-like pods gardeners call 'balloon vine'.