family Zygophyllaceae
- noun
- /ˈfæmɪli zɪɡoʊˈfɪliˌeɪsi/
- Specialized
- The creosote bush, a member of the family Zygophyllaceae, dominates large areas of the southwestern United States.
Examples
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Botanists classify the guaiac tree within the family Zygophyllaceae due to its distinctive resinous properties.
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Many desert plants, such as some in the family Zygophyllaceae, have adapted to saline soils.
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The family Zygophyllaceae includes various shrubs and herbs.
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Many species in the family Zygophyllaceae are known for their resinous properties.
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Many desert plants, such as some in the family Zygophyllaceae, have adapted to saline soils.
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The creosote bush, a member of the family Zygophyllaceae, dominates large areas of the southwestern United States.
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Botanists classify the guaiac tree within the family Zygophyllaceae due to its distinctive resinous properties.
Synonyms
A group of flowering plants like small trees and shrubs that live in warm, dry, salty places
A group of small trees, shrubs, and herbs that grow in hot, dry, salty places and are sometimes poisonous
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward taxonomic construction: 'family' (a scientific grouping) combined with the proper name 'Zygophyllaceae' yields the family to which those plants belong. This compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common for scientific names, so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the meaning.
Etymology
Family Zygophyllaceae may come from old Greek parts zygon ('yoke') and phyllon ('leaf'), because many plants in this group have leaves in pairs that look joined like a small yoke. That's why the name fits these shrubs and herbs that often grow in dry, salty places.