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Glite Dictionary
Pennisetum ruppelii

Pennisetum ruppelii

9.9
A tall garden grass that lives for many years and has long nodding flower clusters
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : grama fuente
  • The landscaper recommended planting Pennisetum ruppelii for its graceful pink flower plumes.

Examples

  • Gardeners prize Pennisetum ruppelii for adding texture and color to perennial borders.

  • You often see Pennisetum ruppelii swaying in the breeze in tropical gardens.

  • The garden features beautiful Pennisetum ruppelii plants.

  • Look at the Pennisetum ruppelii!

  • Gardeners prize Pennisetum ruppelii for adding texture and color to perennial borders.

  • The landscaper recommended planting Pennisetum ruppelii for its graceful pink flower plumes.

  • You often see Pennisetum ruppelii swaying in the breeze in tropical gardens.

Synonyms

fountain grass
vsPennisetum ruppelii
6.2

A tall decorative grass with long curved flower heads that people use in gardens

is similar but has nodding plumes rather than arching ones
feathertop grass
vsPennisetum ruppelii
  • South African
9.3

A tropical African grass with soft feathery plumes

is used as an ornamental perennial and also occurs in Asia

Surface Forms

Pennisetum ruppelii singular
Pennisetum ruppelii plural

Morphology

Pennisetum + ruppelii

This is a Latin binomial: 'Pennisetum' names a genus of grasses, so a learner who recognises that constituent can infer the phrase refers to a kind of grass. However, the species epithet 'ruppelii' carries no independent, transparent meaning in English and does not reveal semantic specifics, so the overall meaning is only partly recoverable from the parts.

Etymology

Pennisetum ruppelii may come from the Latin word Pennisetum meaning 'feather' and the second part, ruppelii, is named after the explorer Ruppell. Picture tall grass with long, soft feather-like plumes, so the name helps you remember it is a showy ornamental grass.