Passiflora foetida
- noun
- Specialized
- When crushed, the stems of Passiflora foetida release a distinctly unpleasant smell.
Examples
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The garden features a rare specimen of Passiflora foetida blooming among the other passionflowers.
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Botanists studied the intricate bracts of Passiflora foetida for their unique adaptation.
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The Passiflora foetida is often found in tropical regions.
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Have you ever smelled the Passiflora foetida?
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When crushed, the stems of Passiflora foetida release a distinctly unpleasant smell.
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The garden features a rare specimen of Passiflora foetida blooming among the other passionflowers.
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Have you ever smelled the Passiflora foetida?
Synonyms
A tropical climbing flower with fine leaf parts and a strong smell when crushed
A climbing tropical plant with thin divided leaf parts and stems that smell bad when crushed
A tropical vine with thin divided leaves that smells strong when you crush its stems
Surface Forms
Morphology
Passiflora + foetida
The binomial combines Passiflora (a passionflower genus) with the Latin epithet foetida meaning 'fetid' or 'foul-smelling', so the full name denotes a passionflower with an unpleasant odor. This is a compositional, descriptive formation following common botanical naming patterns, making the meaning directly derivable for learners who know the constituent parts.
Etymology
Passiflora foetida gets its name from the word foetida, which means 'bad smell'. When the stems are crushed the plant gives a strong, unpleasant smell, so the name points to that feature.