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Glite Dictionary
Clitoria mariana

Clitoria mariana

9.9
A climbing wild vine with large pale blue flowers that grows in meadows in the southeastern United States
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Clitoria mariana
  • The delicate blue flowers of the Clitoria mariana brighten many meadows in the southeastern United States.

Examples

  • The Clitoria mariana vine can grow up to 10 feet long, reaching for sunlight in wooded areas.

  • Gardeners often plant Clitoria mariana to attract pollinators and add color to natural landscapes.

  • Botanists studied the growth pattern of Clitoria mariana in a variety of soil types.

  • Look at that beautiful Clitoria mariana over there!

  • The Clitoria mariana blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • The delicate blue flowers of the Clitoria mariana brighten many meadows in the southeastern United States.

  • Gardeners often plant Clitoria mariana to attract pollinators and add color to natural landscapes.

Surface Forms

Clitoria mariana singular
Clitoria marianas plural

Morphology

Clitoria + mariana

This is a scientific binomial combining the genus name 'Clitoria' with the species epithet 'mariana', so a learner who knows 'Clitoria' can infer it names a particular species of that plant genus. However, the epithet 'mariana' has no clear lexical meaning for a B1 learner and understanding exact properties requires knowledge of botanical naming conventions, so the composition is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Clitoria mariana may get its name from two ideas: the genus name Clitoria was given by a scientist long ago because the flower looked like 'a small part of the female body', and the species name mariana likely honors a woman named Maria or a place called Mariana. That's why the name points to this blue climbing vine.