Prunus virginiana
- noun
- Specialized
:
cereza silvestre
- Birds love the small, bitter berries of Prunus virginiana.
Examples
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The berries of Prunus virginiana are often used to make jams and jellies despite their bitterness.
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Birds were feasting on the ripening fruit of the Prunus virginiana tree in early summer.
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Wild stands of Prunus virginiana can sometimes form dense thickets along roadsides.
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The Prunus virginiana tree grows abundantly in the wild.
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Birds were feasting on the ripening fruit of the Prunus virginiana tree in early summer.
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The berries of Prunus virginiana are often used to make jams and jellies despite their bitterness.
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Birds love the small, bitter berries of Prunus virginiana.
Synonyms
1
8.9
A North American wild tree that has clusters of small bitter dark red or black berries
1
8.3
A wild North American cherry tree with small dark berries that taste bitter and attract birds
Surface Forms
Morphology
The name is a Linnaean binomial where 'Prunus' names the genus (trees/shrubs bearing fruits) and 'virginiana' literally marks origin from Virginia; together they transparently indicate a Prunus species associated with Virginia. Binomial scientific names are compositional and follow a predictable pattern across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Prunus virginiana comes from Latin words: Prunus means a plum or cherry and virginiana means 'from Virginia'. That's why the name fits this wild cherry tree with small, bitter black berries that birds love.