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Glite Dictionary
Schlumbergera truncata

Schlumbergera truncata

9.9
A South American cactus with flat stem sections and bright pink or red flowers kept indoors
  • noun
  • /ˌʃlʌmˈbɜrɡəra trʌŋˈkeɪtə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Schlumbergera truncata
  • My Schlumbergera truncata blooms with bright pink flowers every November.

Examples

  • The Schlumbergera truncata thrives in indirect sunlight and well-draining soil.

  • Many gardeners choose Schlumbergera truncata as a holiday houseplant for its striking appearance.

  • I bought a Schlumbergera truncata for my living room.

  • The Schlumbergera truncata blooms beautifully in winter.

  • Many gardeners choose Schlumbergera truncata as a holiday houseplant for its striking appearance.

  • My Schlumbergera truncata blooms with bright pink flowers every November.

  • The Schlumbergera truncata thrives in indirect sunlight and well-draining soil.

Synonyms

Thanksgiving cactus
vsSchlumbergera truncata
  • US
6.2

A South American cactus with jointed stems and red flowers that blooms around Thanksgiving

is the precise species name used in scientific classification rather than the common name
Zygocactus truncatus
vsSchlumbergera truncata
  • Specialized
9.9

A houseplant cactus with flat joined stems and red flowers that blooms in winter

is the officially named species designation rather than an alternate classification
crab cactus
vsSchlumbergera truncata
5.8

A South American cactus with stem sections often kept indoors for its bright red flowers

is the formal species label rather than a broader informal or regional name

Surface Forms

Schlumbergera truncata singular
Schlumbergera truncatas singular

Morphology

Schlumbergera + truncata

This is a scientific binomial: knowing 'Schlumbergera' (a genus of cacti) lets a learner infer that Schlumbergera truncata is a type/species of that cactus, so there is some compositional information. However the second element 'truncata' has no dictionary entry here and the binomial functions mainly as a technical proper name (and does not transparently yield the common name or descriptive details), so the meaning is only partially accessible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Schlumbergera truncata is named for a plant collector (Schlumbergera) and the word truncata means 'cut off'. The cactus has flat, notched stem pieces that look like they were cut off, so the name points to the plant's shape.