foxtail orchid
- noun
- Specialized
:
orquídea cola de zorro
- The foxtail orchid is prized for its long, fragrant flower clusters.
Examples
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The foxtail orchid thrives in warm, humid climates with filtered sunlight.
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Gardeners often cultivate foxtail orchids for their vibrant display during the blooming season.
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The foxtail orchid blooms beautifully in tropical climates.
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Have you ever seen a foxtail orchid in person?
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Gardeners often cultivate foxtail orchids for their vibrant display during the blooming season.
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The foxtail orchid is prized for its long, fragrant flower clusters.
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The foxtail orchid thrives in warm, humid climates with filtered sunlight.
How Ornamental
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase denotes an orchid that has foxtail-like flowering spikes, which a learner can infer by combining the meanings of 'foxtail' (dense, silky flowering spikes) and 'orchid' (a flowering plant). This modifier+noun compounding is a transparent, cross-linguistically common composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably derive the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Foxtail orchid gets its name from its long, dense flower spike that looks like a fox's tail because many small flowers form a soft, hanging cluster. So the name helps you remember this orchid as the one with a long, tail-like flower display.