Carpinus betulus

9.9

A medium-sized tree with smooth grey bark and leaves that turn yellow-orange in autumn

noun

Specialized

: Carpinus betulus

In autumn, the leaves of Carpinus betulus turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange.

Examples

The Carpinus betulus is often planted in city parks for its attractive foliage and tolerance of pruning.
The Carpinus betulus is a popular choice for hedges.
Botanists identified the old tree as a mature specimen of Carpinus betulus.
Look at the Carpinus betulus!
In autumn, the leaves of Carpinus betulus turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange.
The Carpinus betulus is often planted in city parks for its attractive foliage and tolerance of pruning.
Botanists identified the old tree as a mature specimen of Carpinus betulus.

Synonyms

European hornbeam

vsCarpinus betulus

8.4

A medium-sized tree with smooth grey bark and beech-like leaves that turn yellow-orange in autumn

is the formal scientific name for the same tree

Surface Forms

Carpinus betulus singular

Carpinus betulus plural

Morphology

Carpinus + betulus

This is a Latin taxonomic binomial rather than a compositional English phrase; the parts ('Carpinus' and the opaque epithet 'betulus') do not convey the common meaning 'European hornbeam' to an average B1 learner. Even if a learner recognised 'Carpinus' as a genus name, species epithets are not transparently informative in everyday English and the botanical sense is unpredictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Carpinus betulus gets its name from old Latin words: Carpinus was the name for the 'hornbeam', a tree with very hard, 'horn-like' wood, and betulus points to its 'beech-like' leaves. So the name helps you remember this is the European hornbeam — a tree with very hard wood and leaves like a beech.