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Davidson's penstemon

Davidson's penstemon

9.9
A low plant that grows in mats with blue or purple flowers on short stems
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : penstemon de Davidson
  • Wildflowers like Davidson's penstemon brighten the rocky slopes each spring.

Examples

  • Hikers spotted clusters of Davidson's penstemon along the trail in full bloom.

  • The garden's collection includes rare species such as Davidson's penstemon.

  • I saw a beautiful Davidson's penstemon in the garden.

  • The Davidson's penstemon blooms in late spring.

  • Hikers spotted clusters of Davidson's penstemon along the trail in full bloom.

  • Wildflowers like Davidson's penstemon brighten the rocky slopes each spring.

  • The garden's collection includes rare species such as Davidson's penstemon.

Synonyms

Penstemon davidsonii
vsDavidson's penstemon
  • Specialized
9.9

A low plant that spreads like a mat with blue and purple flowers

is native across western North America rather than that narrower regional range

Surface Forms

Morphology

Davidson's + Penstemon

The phrase is a possessive proper-name + noun denoting a species: 'Davidson's' signals association or naming and 'penstemon' is a genus of plant, so an informed learner can infer it refers to a type/variety of penstemon. This naming pattern (Owner's/Name + noun for a species or cultivar) is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately comprehensible to a learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Davidson's penstemon is 'named after' a botanist called Davidson, and penstemon is the name of the flower. It grows as a low mat with groups of blue and lavender flowers on short stems in western North America, so the name simply links that person to this small wildflower.