Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Pedilanthus tithymaloides

Pedilanthus tithymaloides

9.9
A low tropical American shrub that can make you vomit and is grown for zigzag stems and bright flower parts
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛdɪˈlænθəs tɪˌθɪməˈloʊɪdiːz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Pedilanthus tithymaloides
  • Pedilanthus tithymaloides is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its unique zigzag stems and colorful flowers.

Examples

  • Gardeners should be aware that Pedilanthus tithymaloides contains substances that can induce vomiting if ingested.

  • Some traditional medicines utilize extracts from Pedilanthus tithymaloides for their emetic effects, though caution is advised.

  • The Pedilanthus tithymaloides is often used in tropical gardens.

  • Did you know that Pedilanthus tithymaloides has emetic properties?

  • Gardeners should be careful when handling Pedilanthus tithymaloides because it can cause nausea if ingested.

  • The bright bracts of Pedilanthus tithymaloides make it a popular choice among landscapers in tropical regions.

  • In traditional medicine, Pedilanthus tithymaloides is sometimes used for its strong emetic effects.

Synonyms

redbird flower
vsPedilanthus tithymaloides
  • US
9.9

A low tropical American shrub with bright flowers that can make you vomit

is cultivated for zigzag stems and bright bracts rather than only toxicity
Jew-bush
vsPedilanthus tithymaloides
  • Specialized
9.9

A low tropical shrub whose leaves make you throw up

is cultivated for zigzag stems and bright bracts rather than only toxicity
Jew bush
vsPedilanthus tithymaloides
  • US
9.9

Low tropical American shrub whose leaves can make you vomit

is cultivated for zigzag stems and bright bracts rather than only toxicity
redbird cactus
vsPedilanthus tithymaloides
  • US
9.9

A low tropical plant from Central and South America that is poisonous and makes you vomit

is cultivated for zigzag stems and bright bracts rather than only toxicity

Surface Forms

Pedilanthus tithymaloides singular
Pedilanthus tithymaloides plural

Morphology

Pedilanthus + tithymaloides

This is a botanical Latin binomial (genus + species) functioning as a taxonomic label rather than a regular compositional English phrase; knowing the genus name or encountering an unknown species epithet ('tithymaloides') does not let a B1 learner infer the plant's properties. Botanical Latin and specialized epithets are domain-specific and not transparently interpretable by general learners, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Pedilanthus tithymaloides gets its name from words that picture the flower as a little shoe: Pedilanthus is from a word for 'slipper' because the bloom looks like a tiny shoe, and tithymaloides means 'like Tithymalus', a similar plant. So, the name helps you remember the plant's zigzag stems and bright, shoe-shaped flowers.