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Fritillaria parviflora

Fritillaria parviflora

9.9
A small California plant that has brownish purple or greenish bell-shaped flowers in the lily family
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Fritillaria parviflora
  • Botanists study Fritillaria parviflora for its unique bell-shaped flowers.

Examples

  • The rare Fritillaria parviflora blooms in spring along California's grassy hillsides.

  • Hikers are delighted to spot Fritillaria parviflora during wildflower season.

  • The Fritillaria parviflora blooms in early spring.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the Fritillaria parviflora for its unique flowers.

  • Botanists study Fritillaria parviflora for its unique bell-shaped flowers.

  • Hikers are delighted to spot Fritillaria parviflora during wildflower season.

  • The rare Fritillaria parviflora blooms in spring along California's grassy hillsides.

Synonyms

brown bells
vsFritillaria parviflora
  • US
9.9

A small wild plant in California with brownish bell-shaped flowers

is more specific, noting it belongs to the lily family

Surface Forms

Morphology

Fritillaria + parviflora

This is a Latin binomial: combining a known genus name ('Fritillaria') with a species epithet. A learner who knows the genus can infer it names a particular plant (so the taxonomic idea is transparent), but the specific epithet 'parviflora' is Latin and not a common English word, so its descriptive meaning ('small‑flowered') is unlikely to be predictable to a B1 learner. Therefore the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Fritillaria parviflora comes from Latin words: Fritillaria may come from a word for a 'dice box' because some fritillarias have a pattern of small squares on their bell-shaped flowers, and parviflora means 'small-flowered'. So the name tells you it is a small-flowered fritillaria with bell-shaped flowers.