desert mariposa tulip
- noun
- US
:
tulipán mariposa del desierto
- The desert mariposa tulip blooms in vibrant colors during the spring in the Mojave Desert.
Examples
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The garden display featured several rare desert mariposa tulips collected from southern California.
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Botanists studied the adaptation of the desert mariposa tulip to arid environments.
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The desert mariposa tulip blooms in the spring.
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I saw a beautiful desert mariposa tulip yesterday.
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The desert mariposa tulip flourishes with bright flowers that attract many pollinators.
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In March, you can find the desert mariposa tulip thriving in the sandy soil of the desert.
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Many hikers stop to admire the stunning desert mariposa tulip during their walks in the California desert.
Synonyms
A small wild lily with clusters of bell-shaped orange, red, or yellow flowers on short stems
A wild flower from the southwestern United States and Mexico with cup-shaped petals like a small tulip
A wild flower with three petals that looks like a small butterfly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun compound made of concrete, compositional elements: 'desert' (habitat), 'mariposa' (a type of flowering plant), and 'tulip' (ornamental flower), so together they name a flower associated with desert/mariposa tulips. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer it denotes a tulip-like desert flower, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Desert mariposa tulip gets its name from where it grows and how it looks: desert for dry places, mariposa means 'butterfly' in Spanish because the petals spread like wings, and tulip for its small cup-shaped flower. So the name helps you remember it is a colorful, tulip-like flower that looks like a butterfly and lives in desert areas.
