greater butterfly orchid
- noun
- UK
:
orquídea mariposa mayor
- Unlike its close relative, the greater butterfly orchid has larger but less scented flowers.
Examples
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The greater butterfly orchid blooms in late spring.
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We spotted several greater butterfly orchids growing at the edge of the forest.
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The greater butterfly orchid is native to calcareous grasslands across Europe.
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I spotted a greater butterfly orchid in the forest.
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The greater butterfly orchid is native to calcareous grasslands across Europe.
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Unlike its close relative, the greater butterfly orchid has larger but less scented flowers.
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We spotted several greater butterfly orchids growing at the edge of the forest.
Synonyms
A green orchid with larger, less fragrant flowers found in southern Europe
An orchid from southern Europe with rather large green flowers and a mild smell
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward descriptive noun phrase: 'greater' (larger) + 'butterfly' (modifying the kind of orchid) + 'orchid' (the plant), so its meaning as a larger type of butterfly-orchid is directly compositional. This kind of taxonomic/descriptive naming is cross-linguistically common and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Greater butterfly orchid comes from the way the flower looks like a butterfly, with petals and a lip that can remind people of wings. The word greater simply shows it is bigger than the similar 'lesser butterfly orchid', so the name helps you picture a larger orchid that looks like a butterfly.
