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Glite Dictionary
Castilleja miniata

Castilleja miniata

9.9
A wildflower with bright red, ragged flower clusters that grows in western North America
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Castilleja miniata
  • The brilliant red of the Castilleja miniata stood out among the green grasses of the meadow.

Examples

  • We saw a patch of Castilleja miniata blooming along the mountain trail.

  • The Castilleja miniata blooms brightly in the summer.

  • Many photographers are drawn to fields where Castilleja miniata grows in abundance.

  • Have you seen a Castilleja miniata in bloom?

  • Many photographers are drawn to fields where Castilleja miniata grows in abundance.

  • The brilliant red of the Castilleja miniata stood out among the green grasses of the meadow.

  • We saw a patch of Castilleja miniata blooming along the mountain trail.

Synonyms

Indian paintbrush
vsCastilleja miniata
  • US
1 6.8

A wild plant with bright red or orange flowers found in North America

is the specific western species among those plants with ragged crimson clusters
giant red paintbrush
vsCastilleja miniata
  • US
8.8

A wildflower of western North America with ragged clusters of bright red flowers

is the identical name but includes an older regional word
painted cup
vsCastilleja miniata
  • US
9.6

A wild plant with bright red or orange flower parts that look like a brush

is one particular western species with ragged clusters of crimson flowers

Surface Forms

Castilleja miniata singular
Castilleja miniatas plural

Morphology

Castilleja + miniata

This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Castilleja' as a flowering-plant genus lets a learner infer the phrase denotes a species of that genus, so the taxonomic relation is transparent. However, 'miniata' is a Latin epithet (not a common English word) and its specific descriptive sense (e.g., red/scarlet) is not recoverable by a B1 learner, so the overall meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Castilleja miniata may come from the genus name Castilleja, given for a Spanish plant scientist, and the species word miniata, which means 'painted red'. The flower's bright red parts look like a paintbrush dipped in paint, so people call it the 'Indian paintbrush', and that image explains the name for this red wildflower today.