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Glite Dictionary
Lewisia rediviva

Lewisia rediviva

9.9
A low plant with pink flowers and thick, starchy roots from the Rocky Mountains
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lewisia rediviva
  • The Lewisia rediviva blooms in spring across the dry slopes of Montana.

Examples

  • The fleshy roots of Lewisia rediviva were traditionally eaten by Native Americans.

  • Many gardeners admire the delicate flowers of Lewisia rediviva for their beauty and resilience.

  • The Lewisia rediviva blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen a Lewisia rediviva in the wild?

  • Many gardeners admire the delicate flowers of Lewisia rediviva for their beauty and resilience.

  • The Lewisia rediviva blooms in spring across the dry slopes of Montana.

  • The fleshy roots of Lewisia rediviva were traditionally eaten by Native Americans.

Synonyms

bitterroot
vsLewisia rediviva
  • US
2 9.9

A small Rocky Mountain plant with thick edible roots and pink or white flowers

is the formal Latin name used instead of the common everyday name

Surface Forms

Lewisia rediviva singular
Lewisia redivivae plural

Morphology

Lewisia + rediviva

This is a scientific Latin binomial: if a learner knows 'Lewisia' is a plant genus and could infer that a second word names a species, they can recognize this as a particular plant species, so the referential category is partly recoverable. However, the species epithet 'rediviva' is not a standard English word and does not convey the specific descriptive details (succulent habit, Rocky Mountains distribution, state-flower status), so the full meaning is not predictable from the constituents alone.

Etymology

The plant Lewisia rediviva was named for the explorer Lewis and the Latin word rediviva, which means 'revived'. One popular story says its dry, fleshy roots could look dead but would come back to life after soaking, so the name shows the plant's ability to 'come back to life' in dry places.