Physalis alkekengi

9.9

A garden plant with bright orange, papery husks that look like small lanterns

noun

Specialized

: físalis

After flowering, Physalis alkekengi develops bright orange husks that resemble tiny lanterns.

Examples

Gardeners appreciate Physalis alkekengi for its unusual lantern-like calyxes.
The brilliant orange papery pods of Physalis alkekengi add a decorative touch to autumn arrangements.
The garden was filled with vibrant Physalis alkekengi plants.
Have you seen the Physalis alkekengi in bloom?
Gardeners appreciate Physalis alkekengi for its unusual lantern-like calyxes.
The brilliant orange papery pods of Physalis alkekengi add a decorative touch to autumn arrangements.
After flowering, Physalis alkekengi develops bright orange husks that resemble tiny lanterns.

Synonyms

Chinese lantern plant

vsPhysalis alkekengi

8.3

A plant with bright orange, papery, lantern-shaped coverings around its small fruit

is the same plant but uses a botanical name rather than a common name

bladder cherry

vsPhysalis alkekengi

9.9

A plant with orange paper-like husks around its small fruits, often grown for decoration

is the botanical term rather than that common name

Surface Forms

Physalis alkekengi singular

Physalis alkekengis plural

Morphology

Physalis + alkekengi

This is a Latin scientific name rather than a compositional English phrase: knowing 'Physalis' might suggest a plant genus but the epithet 'alkekengi' is not an English lexical item and conveys no predictable meaning about the plant's appearance. Scientific binomials are largely arbitrary labels across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive the specific sense 'Chinese lantern plant' or its ornamental calyx from the constituents.

Etymology

Physalis alkekengi has bright, paper-like orange husks that look like tiny hanging lanterns, so people call it the 'Chinese lantern' plant. That's why gardeners grow it for decoration and why the name points to its lantern-like husks.