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Glite Dictionary
Oxalis cernua

Oxalis cernua

9.9
A South African plant with bulb-like roots and bright yellow flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : sorrel amarilla
  • Botanists often study Oxalis cernua for its striking yellow flowers and bulbous roots.

Examples

  • The garden was brightened by a cluster of Oxalis cernua blooming in the early spring.

  • Gardeners love Oxalis cernua for its vibrant yellow flowers.

  • Many gardeners choose Oxalis cernua for rock gardens due to its hardiness and vivid color.

  • The Oxalis cernua blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Many gardeners choose Oxalis cernua for its showy yellow flowers and bulbous roots in their flower beds.

  • The bright yellow blooms of Oxalis cernua bring color to any garden during the spring season.

  • With its beautiful yellow flowers, Oxalis cernua is a favorite among plant enthusiasts for ornamental gardening.

Synonyms

wood sorrel
vsOxalis cernua
7.2

A small plant with clover-like leaves and yellow or white flowers that grows in woods and meadows

is a specific South African species with bulbous roots and showy yellow flowers

Surface Forms

Oxalis cernua singular
Oxalis cernuas plural

Morphology

Oxalis + cernua

The form is clearly a Latin binomial (genus + specific epithet), so a learner who recognises 'Oxalis' and the structure could infer it names a species of Oxalis. However, the specific epithet 'cernua' is Latin and not informative to most B1 learners, and the detailed characteristics (South African origin, bulbous roots, yellow flowers) are not derivable from the constituents, so the transparency is only partial.

Etymology

Oxalis cernua comes from old words: Oxalis comes from a Greek word meaning 'sour' because many sorrel leaves taste sour, and cernua is a Latin word meaning 'nodding' because the plant's yellow flowers often droop. So the name helps you remember a small sorrel with sour leaves and nodding yellow blooms.