Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Erythrina crista-galli

Erythrina crista-galli

9.9
A small tree from South America with spiny branches and bright red flowers grown for decoration
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : ceibo
  • The spiny branches of the Erythrina crista-galli make it unmistakable among other ornamental trees.

Examples

  • The Erythrina crista-galli blooms beautifully in early summer, attracting many hummingbirds to the garden.

  • We planted an Erythrina crista-galli in our backyard for its vibrant red flowers.

  • The Erythrina crista-galli is known for its stunning red flowers.

  • Did you see the Erythrina crista-galli blooming in the garden?

  • The Erythrina crista-galli is a popular choice among gardeners for its striking scarlet flowers and unique spiny branches.

  • In many parks, the Erythrina crista-galli can be seen showcasing its bright red blossoms in the spring.

  • We decided to grow an Erythrina crista-galli to enhance the beauty of our landscape with its vibrant flowers.

Synonyms

ceibo
vsErythrina crista-galli
  • UK
9.9

A small spiny tree from South America with dark red flowers that grow alone or in small groups

is often cultivated for ornamental use rather than growing wild
common coral tree
vsErythrina crista-galli
9.0

A small thorny South American tree with bright red flowers

is grown widely for decorative planting rather than growing wild
cry-baby tree
vsErythrina crista-galli
9.9

A small spiny tree from South America with deep red flowers

is mainly grown for ornamental display rather than only wild occurrence

Surface Forms

Erythrina crista-galli singular
Erythrina crista-gallis singular

Morphology

Erythrina + crista-galli

This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Erythrina' (a genus of red‑flowered shrubs/trees) would allow a learner to infer it names a type of tree with red flowers, so part of the meaning is compositional. However, 'crista-galli' is a Latin species epithet (not a normal English word) whose specific sensory/ornamental sense is not predictable to a B1 learner, so the full meaning is not transparently derivable from common English vocabulary. Scientific names are cross‑linguistically used but typically require specialist knowledge, yielding partial transparency.

Etymology

Erythrina crista-galli comes from two old words: Erythrina from Greek for 'red' and crista-galli from Latin for 'cock's comb'. People named the tree this because its bright red flowers look like a rooster's red crest, so the name points to the plant's color and shape.