climbing maidenhair fern

9.1

A fern with thin, delicate leaves that climbs or trails over rocks and walls

noun

: helecho trepador

Gardeners often choose the climbing maidenhair fern for its delicate, feathery leaves and trailing stems.

Examples

In the wild, the climbing maidenhair fern can be found carpeting forest floors or climbing over rocks.
The climbing maidenhair fern has adapted well to the humid climate of Florida.
The climbing maidenhair fern thrives in humid environments.
I bought a climbing maidenhair fern for my living room.
Gardeners often choose the climbing maidenhair fern for its delicate, feathery leaves and trailing stems.
In the wild, the climbing maidenhair fern can be found carpeting forest floors or climbing over rocks.
The climbing maidenhair fern has adapted well to the humid climate of Florida.

Synonyms

climbing maidenhair

vsclimbing maidenhair fern

9.9

A tropical fern with thin climbing stems and delicate leaves

is the full species name rather than a shorter common label

Surface Forms

climbing maidenhair fern singular

climbing maidenhair ferns plural

Morphology

climb + maidenhair + fern

The phrase is compositionally built: 'climbing' (describing growth habit) modifies 'maidenhair fern' to indicate a maidenhair fern that climbs or sprawls. This adjective + noun botanical construction is regular and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name climbing maidenhair fern comes from how the plant looks and grows. Its very thin, hair-like leaves gave it the name maidenhair, and its long stems that run over rocks or trees make it climbing, so the name simply describes a 'fern' that climbs.