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Glite Dictionary
Leontopodium alpinum

Leontopodium alpinum

9.9
A small white mountain flower with woolly leaves and star-shaped heads found in the Alps
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Leontopodium alpinum
  • The white, star-shaped flowers of Leontopodium alpinum have inspired legends and songs throughout Europe.

Examples

  • The rare Leontopodium alpinum flourishes on rocky slopes high in the Alps.

  • Many hikers climb just to catch a glimpse of the blooming Leontopodium alpinum.

  • The Leontopodium alpinum grows in rocky alpine regions.

  • Have you ever seen a Leontopodium alpinum in the wild?

  • The rare Leontopodium alpinum flourishes on rocky slopes high in the Alps.

  • Many hikers climb just to catch a glimpse of the blooming Leontopodium alpinum.

  • The white, star-shaped flowers of Leontopodium alpinum have inspired legends and songs throughout Europe.

Synonyms

edelweiss
vsLeontopodium alpinum
1 9.8

A small white mountain flower with soft woolly leaves and star-shaped clusters that grows on high rocky slopes

is the scientific Latin name used in formal or botanical contexts

Surface Forms

Leontopodium alpinum singular
Leontopodium alpina singular

Morphology

Leontopodium + alpinum

This is a Latin binomial composed of a genus name (Leontopodium = a plant genus) and a species epithet (alpinum ≈ 'alpine'). A B1 learner who knows the constituents could infer it refers to a plant from alpine regions, but the technical Latin forms and the specific common name (edelweiss) are not directly recoverable from the parts, so the relation is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Leontopodium alpinum comes from old Greek and Latin words: Leontopodium means 'little lion's foot' and alpinum means 'of the Alps'. The plant's fuzzy, star-shaped flowers look a bit like a tiny paw on the mountain, so the name helps you remember this woolly alpine flower.