Nelumbo nucifera
- noun
- Specialized
:
Nelumbo nucifera
- Tourists flock to the lake each summer to see the magnificent pink blooms of the Nelumbo nucifera.
Examples
-
The seeds of the Nelumbo nucifera have been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
-
Many Asian cuisines feature roots from the Nelumbo nucifera in soups and stir-fries.
-
The Nelumbo nucifera is often found in ponds and lakes.
-
Did you see the beautiful Nelumbo nucifera blooming?
-
Tourists flock to the lake each summer to see the magnificent pink blooms of the Nelumbo nucifera.
-
The seeds of the Nelumbo nucifera have been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
-
Many Asian cuisines feature roots from the Nelumbo nucifera in soups and stir-fries.
Synonyms
A water plant with large pink or white flowers that grows in ponds
A water plant with large pink or white flowers often seen as holy in many Asian cultures
Surface Forms
Morphology
Nelumbo + nucifera
The first element 'Nelumbo' signals the genus (aquatic plants/lotus), so a learner who knows that can infer this is a particular kind of lotus; however the second element 'nucifera' is a Latin species epithet (not transparent to a B1 learner) and does not by itself convey 'sacred lotus' in everyday English. The binomial form therefore gives partial (taxonomic) predictability but requires specialist or Latin knowledge to get the full meaning, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The plant Nelumbo nucifera may get its name from old Latin words: nucifera means 'nut-bearing' because its round seed heads hold many hard, nut-like seeds. So the name helps you remember the 'sacred lotus' with large flowers and edible seeds.
