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Glite Dictionary
Derris elliptica

Derris elliptica

9.9
A woody vine from Southeast Asia with bright green leaves and roots used to make insect poison
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Derris elliptica
  • Derris elliptica is often grown for its roots, which are used to produce natural insecticides.

Examples

  • The active compound found in Derris elliptica has been studied for its effectiveness in pest control.

  • Botanists examined the flowers of Derris elliptica to better understand its classification.

  • The Derris elliptica plant is often used in traditional medicine.

  • Have you ever seen a Derris elliptica in bloom?

  • Derris elliptica is often grown for its roots, which are used to produce natural insecticides.

  • The active compound found in Derris elliptica has been studied for its effectiveness in pest control.

  • Botanists examined the flowers of Derris elliptica to better understand its classification.

Synonyms

tuba root
vsDerris elliptica
  • Philippine
9.9

A climbing plant whose root has a poison used to stun fish and kill insects

focuses on native region and flower racemes rather than on practical poisoning use

Surface Forms

Derris elliptica main

Morphology

derris + elliptica

The genus name 'Derris' transparently signals a vine (and even the pesticidal property if the learner knows that term), so a learner could infer this is a plant. However 'elliptica' is a Latin species epithet (not a common English word and not listed in the dictionary entry), so the precise sense and the full species description are not fully predictable from everyday vocabulary. Because the binomial gives a clear cue that it is a type of Derris but requires specialist/Latin knowledge for full meaning, the expression is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Derris elliptica is a scientific name with two parts: the group name Derris and the species word elliptica, which is Latin for 'oval' and points to the plant's oval leaves. So the name helps people know and tell apart this vine with oval leaves.