genus Delphinium
- noun
- /ˈdɛlfɪnɪəm/
- Specialized
- The genus Delphinium includes several species known for their showy flowers.
Examples
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Some plants in the genus Delphinium are toxic if ingested by livestock.
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Botanists often study the genus Delphinium to understand its diversity and medicinal properties.
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The genus Delphinium includes many beautiful flowers.
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Did you know that genus Delphinium can be toxic?
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Some plants in the genus Delphinium are known to be poisonous if ingested by pets.
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The genus Delphinium contains several species that thrive in temperate climates.
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Botanists often classify species within the genus Delphinium based on their physical characteristics.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'genus' (a biological rank grouping related species) with 'Delphinium' (a type of plant), indicating the taxonomic group containing delphinium species. This taxonomic naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard noun + name composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to understand it.
Etymology
Genus Delphinium may come from an old Greek word for 'dolphin' because the closed flower bud looks a little like a dolphin's nose. That's why Delphinium now names this group of tall, showy plants.