Indian rhubarb
- noun
- US
:
ruibarbo indio
- We spotted Indian rhubarb flourishing beside the streams in the Sierra Nevada.
Examples
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Gardeners prize the Indian rhubarb for its striking pink flower clusters in spring.
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The broad leaves of the Indian rhubarb create dramatic shadows along the riverbank.
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The Indian rhubarb grows along the stream banks.
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Have you ever seen Indian rhubarb in bloom?
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The large, green leaves of the Indian rhubarb are often found near freshwater streams in the Sierra Nevada.
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In spring, the Indian rhubarb displays beautiful clusters of flowers that attract many bees.
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You can often see Indian rhubarb growing abundantly along the banks of cold mountain streams.
Synonyms
A plant that lives many years with large round leaves and pink or white flower clusters
A perennial plant with large shield-shaped leaves and white to bright pink flowers that grows by mountain streams in California
A perennial plant with large umbrella-like leaves and white to pink flower clusters near streams
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally built from 'Indian' (denoting origin or relation to India) + 'rhubarb' (a plant), so a learner will infer it refers to a rhubarb species/variety associated with India or the Himalayas. This adjective+noun origin/type pattern is cross-linguistically common, making the phrase immediately understandable to B1 learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
Indian rhubarb may get its name from its big, shield-like leaves and bright flower clusters that look like garden rhubarb, and from the way local Native people used the plant by streams. So the name helps you remember it is a large, rhubarb-like herb that grows along riverbanks.
