Sorbus sitchensis

9.9

A small tree from the west coast of North America with white flowers and orange-red berries

noun

Specialized

: sorbete de Sitka

The Sorbus sitchensis produces clusters of bright orange berries in late summer.

Examples

The Sorbus sitchensis is known for its beautiful white flowers.
Many birds feed on the fruit of Sorbus sitchensis during the autumn months.
Botanists studied how Sorbus sitchensis adapts to the cool, moist climate of the Pacific Northwest.
Have you seen the Sorbus sitchensis in bloom this spring?
Many birds feed on the fruit of Sorbus sitchensis during the autumn months.
The Sorbus sitchensis produces clusters of bright orange berries in late summer.
Botanists studied how Sorbus sitchensis adapts to the cool, moist climate of the Pacific Northwest.

Synonyms

Western mountain ash

vsSorbus sitchensis

8.6

A small tree from the western coast of North America with groups of red berries

has orange red berries rather than plain red ones

Surface Forms

Sorbus sitchensis singular

Sorbus sitchensises plural

Morphology

Sorbus + sitchensis

This is a Latin binomial scientific name: 'Sorbus' is a genus label and 'sitchensis' is a Latinized epithet (likely referring to a place), neither of which are ordinary English words whose combination would signal the common meaning ‘a species of mountain ash’. Understanding the species identity requires knowledge of taxonomic naming conventions or the Latin/placename element, so a B1 learner who only knows the listed constituents would not be able to derive the meaning.

Etymology

Sorbus sitchensis is a Latin name that gives a simple picture: Sorbus is the group of trees called 'mountain ash' and sitchensis means 'from Sitka', the town in Alaska where the tree is common. So the name helps you remember it is a mountain ash that grows on the western coast of North America and makes white flowers and orange-red berries.