Spartina pectinmata
- noun
- Specialized
:
Spartina pectinmata
- Researchers studied the unique glumes of Spartina pectinmata for their role in salt tolerance.
Examples
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The wetland restoration project included planting Spartina pectinmata along the shoreline.
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Spartina pectinmata thrives in coastal environments.
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Local wildlife relies on Spartina pectinmata habitats for nesting and feeding.
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Have you seen the Spartina pectinmata in the marsh?
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Local wildlife relies on Spartina pectinmata habitats for nesting and feeding.
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Researchers studied the unique glumes of Spartina pectinmata for their role in salt tolerance.
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The wetland restoration project included planting Spartina pectinmata along the shoreline.
Synonyms
1
8.9
A tall grass that grows in coastal marshes and helps stop erosion
A tall marsh grass with dry leaf edges and seeds with long hairs
A tall coarse grass that grows in prairies and wetlands and shelters birds and small animals
A group of grasses that grow in freshwater swamps and salt marshes
Surface Forms
Morphology
Spartina + pectinmata
This is a Latin binomial (genus + species): a learner who knows 'Spartina' could infer the phrase refers to a particular species of that genus, so the general class (a kind of grass) is somewhat recoverable. However, the species epithet 'pectinmata' is not an English word and does not transparently indicate the diagnostic features, and most B1 learners will not know taxonomic naming conventions, so the full meaning is not derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Spartina pectinmata may come from older words that create a picture: Spartina for 'rope' and pectinmata for 'comb-like teeth'. So imagine a strong marsh grass that looks like rope and has comb-like, toothy leaf edges and long bristles, and that image helps explain why the name fits this cordgrass species.