Paliurus spina-christi
- noun
- Specialized
:
Paliurus spina-christi
- The Paliurus spina-christi produces distinctive winged fruits that scatter easily in the wind.
Examples
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The Paliurus spina-christi is a thorny shrub that grows well in dry climates across Eurasia.
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The gardener planted a Paliurus spina-christi near the fence for its unique appearance.
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Some legends claim that Paliurus spina-christi was used to make Christ's crown of thorns.
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The Paliurus spina-christi is often found in arid regions.
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Have you seen a Paliurus spina-christi before?
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Farmers often gather the Paliurus spina-christi fruits as they are known to disperse easily in the wind.
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In spring, the Paliurus spina-christi blooms with small, yellow flowers that attract various insects.
Synonyms
A thorny shrub from Eurasia with small round flat fruits
A bush or small tree with sharp thorns and often edible fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
Paliurus + spina-christi
This is a scientific binomial composed of the genus name 'Paliurus' (a type of thorny shrub) plus a specific epithet; if a learner knows both constituents they can infer it denotes a particular species of Paliurus. The form follows standard taxonomic composition rather than an idiomatic meaning, so the overall sense is directly derivable from its parts.
Etymology
One popular story says the plant Paliurus spina-christi had sharp, thorny branches that were used to make the 'crown of thorns' put on Christ. Because the shrub really has many thorns, the name stuck and today it reminds people of that story.
