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Glite Dictionary
hooded ladies' tresses

hooded ladies' tresses

9.9
A North American orchid with creamy white flowers in a spiral and two upper petals forming a hood
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : trenzas de dama con capucha
  • The creamy white flowers of hooded ladies' tresses are arranged in a gentle spiral.

Examples

  • Botanists were excited to find rare hooded ladies' tresses blooming in the meadow.

  • We spotted a cluster of hooded ladies' tresses growing near the stream during our hike.

  • I saw a beautiful patch of hooded ladies' tresses in the forest.

  • Have you ever spotted hooded ladies' tresses in the wild?

  • Botanists were excited to find rare hooded ladies' tresses blooming in the meadow.

  • The creamy white flowers of hooded ladies' tresses are arranged in a gentle spiral.

  • We spotted a cluster of hooded ladies' tresses growing near the stream during our hike.

Synonyms

Spiranthes romanzoffiana
vshooded ladies' tresses
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wild orchid from western North America with creamy white flowers that spiral around the stem

is the common name used instead of the scientific species name

Surface Forms

hooded ladies' tresses singular
hooded ladies' tresses plural

Morphology

hooded + ladies' + tress

The phrase is a descriptive plant name built by metaphorical extension: 'tresses' (locks of hair) suggests the flowers resemble hair and 'hooded' describes a hood-like petal formation. A B1 learner who knows the words would likely infer a plant with hair-like (spiraling) flowers that have a hooded shape, but not necessarily identify it specifically as an orchid species, so the relation is partially but not fully predictable.

Etymology

Hooded ladies' tresses comes from the flower's look: the two top petals make a small hood, so hooded, and the tight row of creamy blooms curls like a woman's long tresses, which led to the word ladies'. So the name describes this kind of 'orchid' and helps you picture the plant.