Schinus molle
- noun
- Specialized
- Some people use the berries of Schinus molle as a substitute for pink peppercorns.
Examples
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The garden's old Schinus molle provided a shaded spot to rest on hot afternoons.
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The Schinus molle along the avenue bloomed with clusters of tiny, fragrant flowers.
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Look at that stunning Schinus molle in bloom!
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The Schinus molle thrives in warm climates.
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The Schinus molle tree in my backyard attracts many birds with its fragrant flowers.
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Families enjoy picnicking under the shade of the tall Schinus molle during summer.
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The Schinus molle is often planted in parks for its beautiful appearance and pleasant scent.
Synonyms
A small evergreen tree from Peru with pink fruits used like pepper
A small evergreen tree from Peru with a rounded top, hanging branches, greenish flowers, and pink fruit
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a taxonomic binomial composed of a genus name ('Schinus') plus a species epithet ('molle'), so the referent — a particular evergreen/Peruvian pepper tree — is directly derivable from the constituents. Botanical naming is a systematic, cross-linguistic compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both parts would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Schinus molle may come from old local names in Peru: the part molle was the local word for this tree. Its small pink berries look like peppercorns, so people call it the 'Peruvian pepper tree', and that image helps explain the name.