annual fern
- noun
- Specialized
:
helecho anual
- Because it completes its life cycle in a year, the annual fern must grow and reproduce quickly.
Examples
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The annual fern thrives in the humid climates of Central and South America.
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Gardeners sometimes plant annual ferns for their delicate foliage and fast growth.
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The annual fern thrives in humid environments.
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Many gardeners prefer annual ferns for their quick growth.
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Because it completes its life cycle in a year, the annual fern must grow and reproduce quickly.
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Many gardeners prefer planting annual ferns due to their beautiful fronds and fast growth.
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In tropical gardens, the annual fern is often chosen for its ability to thrive in damp soil.
Synonyms
A small fern from Central and South America that lives for only one season
A small fern from Central and South America with thin divided leaves that grows on moist rocks in forests
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning — a fern that completes its life cycle in one year — is directly and compositionally derived from 'annual' (a plant living one year) + 'fern' (a type of plant). This adjectival/nominal combination is a common, literal pattern in English (and many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Annual fern is a name that describes the plant: annual means 'lasting one year' and fern is the kind of plant. So the name means 'a fern that lives for one year', because this plant grows, makes new plants, and dies all within a single year.