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Glite Dictionary
Epigaea repens

Epigaea repens

9.9
A low evergreen shrub with thick, tough leaves and groups of fragrant pink or white flowers
  • noun
  • /ˌɛpɪˈɡiːə ˈrɛpənz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Epigaea repens
  • In early spring, the Epigaea repens bursts into bloom, filling the forest floor with a sweet fragrance.

Examples

  • The fragrant pink flowers of Epigaea repens make it a sought-after plant for native gardens.

  • Botanists were excited to discover a healthy patch of Epigaea repens along the woodland trail.

  • Look at this Epigaea repens!

  • I found a lovely Epigaea repens in the garden.

  • In early spring, the Epigaea repens bursts into bloom, filling the forest floor with a sweet fragrance.

  • The fragrant pink flowers of Epigaea repens make it a sought-after plant for native gardens.

  • Botanists were excited to discover a healthy patch of Epigaea repens along the woodland trail.

Synonyms

mayflower
vsEpigaea repens
  • US
9.2

A low evergreen plant with thick leaves and groups of small pink or white fragrant flowers

is the Latin botanical name used in formal science for the same plant
trailing arbutus
vsEpigaea repens
  • US
9.9

A low shrub that keeps green leaves all year and has pink or white flowers that smell sweet

is the Latin name used in botanical classification for the same plant

Surface Forms

Epigaea repens singular
Epigaea repenses plural

Morphology

Epigaea + repens

This is a scientific Latin binomial (proper name) whose constituents are not common English words for a B1 learner; 'Epigaea' and 'repens' function as taxonomic labels rather than compositional English vocabulary. Even if 'repens' etymologically means 'creeping' in Latin, that knowledge is unlikely for a B1 learner and does not transparently yield the full meaning 'low-growing evergreen shrub', so the expression is not derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Epigaea repens comes from old Greek and Latin words: Epigaea means 'on the ground' and repens means 'creeping', so the name paints a picture of a low shrub that creeps along the ground and has sweet-smelling flowers.