blue cardinal flower
- noun
- US
:
flor cardenal azul
- The blue cardinal flower adds a vivid splash of color to shaded gardens in late summer.
Examples
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Hikers along the river were delighted to spot several blooming blue cardinal flowers near the water's edge.
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The blue cardinal flower blooms in late summer.
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Botanists studied the habitat of the blue cardinal flower to monitor its population in the wild.
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I saw a blue cardinal flower in the garden yesterday.
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Hikers along the river were delighted to spot several blooming blue cardinal flowers near the water's edge.
-
The blue cardinal flower adds a vivid splash of color to shaded gardens in late summer.
-
Botanists studied the habitat of the blue cardinal flower to monitor its population in the wild.
Synonyms
A tall, upright plant with dense spikes of blue flowers that grows in wet places
A tall leafy plant that grows back each year and has spikes of blue flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The elements 'blue' and 'flower' transparently signal a flower of blue colour, but 'cardinal' normally denotes a deep red and here functions as a lexicalized species name ('cardinal flower'). Because the phrase relies on a conventional plant name whose internal semantics conflict with the adjective 'blue', a B1 learner could infer a blue flower but would not fully predict the exact botanical sense without exposure.
Etymology
Blue cardinal flower gets its name from the older plant called cardinal flower, whose bright red blooms reminded people of a 'cardinal' (a church leader) in red robes. Adding blue just tells you this type has blue blooms, so the name helps you imagine a tall flower with blue spikes.
