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Glite Dictionary
Cassiope mertensiana

Cassiope mertensiana

9.9
A low mountain shrub with drooping bell-shaped white flowers that grows in western North America
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cassiope mertensiana
  • Hikers admired the delicate, drooping blossoms of Cassiope mertensiana blooming in early summer.

Examples

  • The Cassiope mertensiana thrives in the subalpine meadows of the Pacific Northwest.

  • We spotted patches of Cassiope mertensiana along the rocky mountain trail.

  • Look at the lovely Cassiope mertensianas blooming along the trail!

  • The Cassiope mertensiana thrives in rocky mountain soils.

  • Hikers admired the delicate, drooping blossoms of Cassiope mertensiana blooming in early summer.

  • The Cassiope mertensiana thrives in the subalpine meadows of the Pacific Northwest.

  • We spotted patches of Cassiope mertensiana along the rocky mountain trail.

Synonyms

white heather
vsCassiope mertensiana
  • US
8.4

A small plant with bell-shaped white flowers that grows on mountain slopes

is found throughout western North America rather than only the western United States

Surface Forms

Cassiope mertensiana singular
Cassiope mertensianas plural

Morphology

Cassiope + mertensiana

The genus name 'Cassiope' clearly identifies the plant group, so a learner who knows that constituent can infer the phrase refers to a type/species of that shrub. However, 'mertensiana' is a Latin species epithet with no independent lexical meaning for learners and the taxonomic two-word naming convention may be unfamiliar at B1, so the full sense is not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Cassiope mertensiana comes from two parts: Cassiope, a proud queen in Greek myth, and mertensiana, named for the botanist Mertens who collected mountain plants. That image of a 'royal' flower plus the scientist's name helps you remember this small mountain heath with drooping white, bell-shaped flowers.