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Glite Dictionary
Polygonum orientale

Polygonum orientale

9.9
An annual plant with wide oval leaves and thin hanging spikes of red flowers called prince's-feather
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Polygonum orientale
  • Polygonum orientale is valued in ornamental gardens for its striking crimson flower spikes.

Examples

  • Gardeners often refer to Polygonum orientale by its popular name, prince's-feather.

  • The naturalized populations of Polygonum orientale have become common in some parts of North America.

  • The garden was filled with beautiful Polygonum orientale plants.

  • Have you ever seen Polygonum orientale in bloom?

  • Polygonum orientale is valued in ornamental gardens for its striking crimson flower spikes.

  • Gardeners often refer to Polygonum orientale by its popular name, prince's-feather.

  • The naturalized populations of Polygonum orientale have become common in some parts of North America.

Synonyms

prince's-feather
vsPolygonum orientale
  • UK
1 9.9

A tall garden plant with long colorful flower spikes

is a different species that shares showy spikes but is not the same plant
prince's-plume
vsPolygonum orientale
  • UK
9.9

An annual plant with broad rounded leaves and long thin clusters of red hanging flowers

is the same plant but is an alternative common name
kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate
vsPolygonum orientale
9.9

A garden plant with broad leaves and long hanging red flower spikes

is the wild naturalized species rather than mainly a garden cultivar
princess feather
vsPolygonum orientale
  • US
9.2

A yearly garden plant with long hanging red flower spikes

is the specific species native to southeastern Asia and Australia

Surface Forms

Polygonum orientale singular
Polygonum orientales plural

Morphology

Polygonum + orientale

This is a Latin binomial name: the species epithet 'orientale' is cognate with English 'oriental'/'eastern', so a learner who recognises that could infer it denotes an 'eastern' member of the genus Polygonum. However, 'Polygonum' is a specialized genus name (not a common English noun), so without botanical knowledge the overall referent (a specific plant) may not be clear. Because part of the meaning is recoverable from the constituents but the genus is technical, the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Polygonum orientale comes from Latin words that mean 'many joints' and 'eastern'. The name creates a clear image: Polygonum points to the plant's many joints on its stems and orientale shows it came from eastern Asia, so the scientific name describes how the plant looks and where it came from.