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Glite Dictionary
Clianthus puniceus

Clianthus puniceus

9.9
A shrub from New Zealand with leaves that stay green and red or white claw-shaped flowers like bird beaks
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Clianthus puniceus
  • In spring, the Clianthus puniceus produces clusters of scarlet flowers that brighten up any landscape.

Examples

  • The vibrant flowers of the Clianthus puniceus attract many native birds in New Zealand gardens.

  • The Clianthus puniceus blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Gardeners prize Clianthus puniceus for its dramatic, beak-like blooms.

  • I saw a Clianthus puniceus in the botanical garden.

  • Gardeners prize Clianthus puniceus for its dramatic, beak-like blooms.

  • In spring, the Clianthus puniceus produces clusters of scarlet flowers that brighten up any landscape.

  • The vibrant flowers of the Clianthus puniceus attract many native birds in New Zealand gardens.

Synonyms

parrot's bill
vsClianthus puniceus
  • New Zealand
9.9

A plant from New Zealand that stays green all year with beak-shaped red or white flowers

is the scientific species name rather than a common name
parrot's beak
vsClianthus puniceus
  • New Zealand
9.9

An evergreen shrub from New Zealand with claw-shaped red to white flowers

is the scientific species name rather than a common name
clianthus
vsClianthus puniceus
  • New Zealand
9.9

A New Zealand shrub or climbing plant with hanging red flowers shaped like a bird's beak

is a single species rather than the broader genus

Surface Forms

Clianthus puniceus singular
Clianthus punicei plural

Morphology

Clianthus + puniceus

The phrase is a botanical binomial (genus + specific epithet), so if a learner knew 'Clianthus' as a type of shrub and 'puniceus' as a descriptive Latin adjective (meaning scarlet/reddish), the overall meaning ('a scarlet Clianthus shrub') would be compositional. However, 'puniceus' is not an English word and is not defined here, and typical B1 learners do not have Latin/botanical vocabulary, so the meaning is not fully predictable without specialist knowledge.

Etymology

Clianthus puniceus may come from the parts Clianthus meaning 'claw' or 'beak' and puniceus meaning 'red', because its bright, claw-shaped flowers look like a bird's beak. That's why the name fits this evergreen shrub and helps you remember its showy red blooms.