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Glite Dictionary
Tsuga mertensiana

Tsuga mertensiana

9.9
A tall evergreen tree from western North America, called mountain hemlock
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Tsuga mertensiana
  • We identified the tall trees on the slope as Tsuga mertensiana after examining their needles and cones.

Examples

  • Wood from Tsuga mertensiana is prized for its strength and durability.

  • The Tsuga mertensiana thrives in mountainous regions.

  • The forests of the Pacific Northwest are home to the Tsuga mertensiana.

  • Many hikers admire the Tsuga mertensiana for its beauty.

  • The forests of the Pacific Northwest are home to the Tsuga mertensiana.

  • Wood from Tsuga mertensiana is prized for its strength and durability.

  • We identified the tall trees on the slope as Tsuga mertensiana after examining their needles and cones.

Synonyms

mountain hemlock
vsTsuga mertensiana
  • Specialized
7.7

A large evergreen tree with very hard wood that grows on high mountain slopes

is the scientific species name for that same tree
black hemlock
vsTsuga mertensiana
  • US
9.3

A large evergreen tree from the western United States with very hard wood

includes both the United States and Canada in its native range

Surface Forms

Tsuga mertensiana singular
Tsuga mertensianas plural

Morphology

Tsuga + mertensiana

The form is a Latin binomial: 'Tsuga' names the hemlock genus, so a learner who knows that can infer this is a type/species of hemlock. However, 'mertensiana' is a non-lexical species epithet with no interpretable meaning for a B1 learner, so the precise sense (e.g., 'mountain hemlock' or wood properties) is not recoverable from the parts.

Etymology

Tsuga mertensiana combines Tsuga, a Japanese word for 'hemlock', and mertensiana, a name that honors the explorer Mertens who collected the tree. So the name literally means 'Mertens hemlock', which helps you remember it is a mountain hemlock.