genus Telanthera

9.9

A former group of flowering plants that plant scientists now place in the genus Alternanthera

noun

Archaic

: género Telanthera

Many species once classified under genus Telanthera are now placed in the genus Alternanthera.

Examples

Many plants from the genus Telanthera are now classified under Alternanthera.
The name genus Telanthera is often encountered in older botanical texts.
As taxonomic understanding changed, genus Telanthera became obsolete and is no longer in current use.
The genus Telanthera was once widely recognized in botanical studies.
Many species once classified under genus Telanthera are now placed in the genus Alternanthera.
As taxonomic understanding changed, genus Telanthera became obsolete and is no longer in current use.
The name genus Telanthera is often encountered in older botanical texts.

Synonyms

Telanthera

vsgenus Telanthera

Archaic

9.9

A former group name for tropical plants now called Alternanthera

is a broader historical classification for certain flowering plants not only tropical ones

Surface Forms

genus Telanthera singular

genera Telanthera plural

Morphology

genus + Telanthera

This is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase: 'genus' (a biological rank) + the proper name 'Telanthera', so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it denotes the genus called Telanthera. The construction is compositional and common in scientific naming across languages, making the basic meaning immediately derivable (specialist historical details are extra but not required for understanding).

Etymology

Genus Telanthera likely comes from old Greek parts, including anthera, which is the part of a flower that holds pollen. The name gave a simple picture of a flower part and so was used for a group of flowering plants, though today those species are placed in Alternanthera.