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Glite Dictionary
Centaurea cineraria

Centaurea cineraria

9.9
A plant with soft silver leaves often grown in gardens and pots
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Centaurea cineraria
  • The soft, woolly leaves of Centaurea cineraria make it a favorite in ornamental gardens.

Examples

  • We planted Centaurea cineraria along the walkway for its attractive silvery foliage.

  • Gardeners often choose Centaurea cineraria for borders and containers due to its unique color and texture.

  • The garden is filled with Centaurea cineraria this summer.

  • I bought some Centaurea cinerarias for my flower beds.

  • Gardeners often choose Centaurea cineraria for its unique silvery color and downy texture in ornamental displays.

  • The soft, woolly leaves of Centaurea cineraria add a beautiful contrast to other plants in the garden.

  • We planted Centaurea cineraria along the walkway to enhance the garden's appearance with its silvery foliage.

Synonyms

dusty miller
vsCentaurea cineraria
6.7

A garden plant with soft silvery leaves used for decoration

has identical meaning but is the formal botanical name

Surface Forms

Centaurea cineraria singular
Centaurea cinerarias plural

Morphology

Centaurea + cineraria

The name is a Latin botanical binomial combining a genus name ('Centaurea') with a species epithet ('cineraria'), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to a particular plant in that genus. However, the specific properties given in the definition (silvery, downy leaves; 'dusty miller') are domain-specific and not directly predictable from the word parts alone, so full meaning requires botanical knowledge.

Etymology

Centaurea cineraria is a plant with soft, silvery leaves and is often called dusty miller. One popular story says the leaves look like a miller's coat covered in 'dust', so the name helps you remember the plant by its pale, silvery color.