Erythrina corallodendrum

9.9

A small tree or shrub from the Caribbean with bright red flowers and red seeds with black spots

noun

Specialized

: Erythrina corallodendrum

Gardeners prize Erythrina corallodendrum for its striking red racemes and unique seeds.

Examples

The Erythrina corallodendrum adds a vibrant splash of color to tropical gardens.
The Erythrina corallodendrum is often found in tropical gardens.
Researchers studied the medicinal properties of Erythrina corallodendrum leaves and flowers.
Look at that beautiful Erythrina corallodendrum in bloom!
Gardeners prize Erythrina corallodendrum for its striking red racemes and unique seeds.
The Erythrina corallodendrum adds a vibrant splash of color to tropical gardens.
Researchers studied the medicinal properties of Erythrina corallodendrum leaves and flowers.

Synonyms

coral bean tree

vsErythrina corallodendrum

9.3

A small tree with bright red flowers and red seeds with black spots

is native to the Caribbean rather than to southeastern US and Central America

Surface Forms

Erythrina corallodendrum singular

Erythrina corallodendrums plural

Morphology

Erythrina + corallodendrum

This item is a Latin binomial species name functioning as a proper noun; even if a learner knows 'Erythrina' (a genus of red-flowered shrubs), the second element 'corallodendrum' is not an English lexical item and does not transparently contribute a predictable meaning. Understanding that the phrase names a particular shrub species requires botanical or encyclopedic knowledge rather than composition of common English words, so a B1 learner would not be able to derive its meaning from the constituents.

Etymology

Erythrina corallodendrum comes from Greek words: Erythrina meaning 'red' and corallodendrum meaning 'coral tree'. The plant has bright red flowers that look like pieces of coral on a small tree, so the name points to its red, coral-like blooms.