Sambucus racemosa
- noun
- UK
:
sambucus racemosa
- The Sambucus racemosa produces bright red berries that attract a variety of birds.
Examples
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Gardeners often plant Sambucus racemosa for its ornamental value and tolerance of cold climates.
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Berries from the Sambucus racemosa should not be eaten raw, as they can be toxic.
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The Sambucus racemosa produces beautiful red berries.
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Many birds enjoy the fruit of the Sambucus racemosa.
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The Sambucus racemosa produces bright red berries that attract a variety of birds.
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Gardeners often plant Sambucus racemosa for its ornamental value and tolerance of cold climates.
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Berries from the Sambucus racemosa should not be eaten raw, as they can be toxic.
Synonyms
A shrub with clusters of small red berries found in woods and gardens
A small tree or bush with clusters of bright red berries
A small tree or bush from North America that has clusters of red berries
Surface Forms
Morphology
Sambucus + racemosa
The genus name 'Sambucus' directly signals an elder shrub, so part of the meaning (that it is an elder species) is clear. However the species epithet 'racemosa' is a Latin botanical descriptor (literally 'with racemes/clustered') that a B1 learner is unlikely to know or derive from everyday English, so the full sense requires specialized/Latin knowledge. Because one constituent is transparent while the other is specialized and not immediately interpretable by a B1 learner, the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Sambucus racemosa comes from old words that describe the elder and its berry bunches. Sambucus was the old name for the elder tree and racemosa means 'with clusters', so the name points to an elder shrub that makes bright red berry clusters.
