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Glite Dictionary
Spergula arvensis

Spergula arvensis

9.9
A small European weed with white flowers and leaves in groups called corn spurry
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Spergula arvensis
  • Spergula arvensis often invades cereal crops, reducing their yield.

Examples

  • Botanists identified the weed growing along the roadside as Spergula arvensis.

  • Farmers use specific herbicides to control the spread of Spergula arvensis in their fields.

  • The Spergula arvensis is often found in wheat fields.

  • Farmers often struggle with Spergula arvensis in their crops.

  • Spergula arvensis is commonly found in agricultural fields, especially those planted with cereals.

  • To prevent yield loss, farmers often monitor their crops for Spergula arvensis during the growing season.

  • The presence of Spergula arvensis can indicate poor soil health in certain areas.

Synonyms

corn spurrey
vsSpergula arvensis
  • UK
9.9

A small plant with thin leaves and white star-shaped flowers that grows in fields

is the Latin scientific name used in botanical and formal contexts
corn spurry
vsSpergula arvensis
  • UK
9.9

A small weed with leaves that grow around the stem and white flowers in farm fields

is the Latin scientific name used by botanists and in formal lists

Surface Forms

Spergula arvensis singular
Spergula arvenses plural

Morphology

Spergula + arvensis

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial: 'Spergula' names a plant genus (so a learner who knows that constituent will know it refers to a plant), and 'arvensis' is a Latin epithet usually meaning 'of the fields' (not listed in the provided dictionary). Knowing both parts would let a learner infer it is a field-associated species of Spergula, but the specific common-name sense ('corn spurry') and finer properties are technical and not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so the transparency is partial.

Etymology

Spergula arvensis comes from Latin words: Spergula from a word meaning 'to scatter' and arvensis meaning 'of the fields'. This fits the plant — its tiny seeds scatter through grain fields, so the name points to a small field weed also called corn spurry.