Drosophyllum lusitanicum

9.9

A plant that lives many years and uses sticky leaves to catch and digest insects

noun

Specialized

: Drosophyllum lusitanicum

Unlike most carnivorous plants, Drosophyllum lusitanicum prefers full sunlight and arid conditions.

Examples

Botanists are studying Drosophyllum lusitanicum to understand how its sticky leaves digest insects.
Drosophyllum lusitanicum thrives in dry, sandy soils and can survive long periods of drought.
The Drosophyllum lusitanicum is often called the Portuguese sundew.
Many gardeners admire the Drosophyllum lusitanicum for its unique appearance.
Botanists are studying Drosophyllum lusitanicum to understand how its sticky leaves digest insects.
Unlike most carnivorous plants, Drosophyllum lusitanicum prefers full sunlight and arid conditions.
Many gardeners admire the Drosophyllum lusitanicum for its unique appearance.

Surface Forms

Drosophyllum lusitanicum singular

Drosophyllum lusitanicums plural

Morphology

Drosophyllum + lusitanicum

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) used as a taxonomic proper name; while 'Drosophyllum' signals a carnivorous plant, the species epithet 'lusitanicum' is a Latin form (not a common English word) and is not recoverable by an average B1 learner. Because the meaning relies on botanical/Latin knowledge (e.g., 'lusitanicum' = of Lusitania/Portugal) rather than predictable English composition, the expression is not transparently derivable from the listed constituents.

Etymology

Drosophyllum lusitanicum comes from old Greek words drosos ('dew') and phyllon ('leaf') plus lusitanicum, a name for old 'Portugal'. The plant's leaves look covered in sticky dew drops that catch insects, so the name — 'dew-leaf from Portugal' — gives a clear image of a carnivorous plant from that region.