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Glite Dictionary
Pinus flexilis

Pinus flexilis

9.7
A pine tree with long needles, very flexible branches, and dark grey furrowed bark that grows in western North America
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pino flexible
  • We identified a Pinus flexilis by its long needles and distinctive bark.

Examples

  • The Pinus flexilis can survive harsh winds thanks to its flexible branches.

  • The Pinus flexilis is often found at high elevations.

  • Researchers studied the Pinus flexilis to learn about its adaptation to mountainous regions.

  • Many hikers admire the Pinus flexilis for its beauty.

  • The Pinus flexilis can survive harsh winds thanks to its flexible branches.

  • We identified a Pinus flexilis by its long needles and distinctive bark.

  • Researchers studied the Pinus flexilis to learn about its adaptation to mountainous regions.

Synonyms

limber pine
vsPinus flexilis
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A pine tree with long needles and flexible branches that grows high in western mountains

is the scientific Latin name used in formal contexts

Surface Forms

Pinus flexilis singular
Pinus flexilis plural

Morphology

Pinus + flexilis

The binomial is partially transparent: 'Pinus' clearly signals a pine tree, and 'flexilis' is recognizably related to English 'flexible', so a B1 learner who knows those constituents could infer it is a kind of pine with flexible characteristics. However, 'flexilis' is a Latin epithet (not a common English word) and the precise species-specific information (range, needle length, bark) cannot be fully derived from the parts, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Pinus flexilis comes from the Latin words Pinus meaning 'pine' and flexilis meaning 'flexible'. Its very bendy branches let the tree bend under strong mountain wind and heavy snow, so the name points to that real feature.