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Glite Dictionary
balsam family

balsam family

8.8
A group of flowering plants like impatiens and jewelweed with irregular flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈbɔːlsəm ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de los bálsamos
  • The balsam family includes popular garden plants like impatiens and jewelweed.

Examples

  • Botanists distinguish the balsam family from related plant families by examining the structure of their flowers.

  • Members of the balsam family are known for their bright, showy flowers.

  • The balsam family includes many beautiful flowering plants.

  • Have you seen the balsam family in the garden?

  • The balsam family includes popular garden plants like impatiens and jewelweed.

  • Members of the balsam family are known for their bright, showy flowers.

  • Botanists distinguish the balsam family from related plant families by examining the structure of their flowers.

Synonyms

Balsaminaceae
vsbalsam family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering plants that includes impatiens and balsam with irregular flowers

is the common term used instead of the Latin family name

Surface Forms

balsam family singular
balsam families plural

Morphology

balsam + family

The phrase combines 'balsam' (a type of plant/resin) with 'family' (a taxonomic grouping), so its meaning — the plant family that includes balsams — is directly compositional. This botanical noun phrase follows standard language patterns for naming groups, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Balsam family gets its name from balsam, a sticky, sweet-smelling sap some plants make that people once used as a 'medicine', and family, meaning a group of related plants. So balsam family today names a group of flowering plants like impatiens and jewelweed that are related and often have odd-shaped or showy flowers.