kidney wort
- noun
- US
:
hierba del riñón
- The kidney wort thrives in dry, rocky soil.
Examples
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Hikers were surprised to find kidney wort blooming along the canyon trail.
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The gardens featured several native plants, including kidney wort thriving in the rocky soil.
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Botanists identified the shrub as kidney wort due to its characteristic flower heads.
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Many gardeners love the kidney wort for its vibrant flowers.
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The hikers were delighted to spot kidney wort blooming in the arid landscape of the canyon.
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In spring, the kidney wort comes alive with clusters of flowers, adding beauty to the desert region.
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At the botanical garden, visitors admired the kidney wort for its unique flower heads and evergreen leaves.
Synonyms
A spreading evergreen shrub with small flower clusters that grows on California coastal hills
A spreading evergreen shrub with small flowers that grows on dry hills in the southwestern United States
An evergreen bush with small clustered flowers that spreads in the southwestern United States
A spreading evergreen shrub with small clusters of white flowers that grows in dry places
Surface Forms
Morphology
kidney + wort
The name directly combines 'kidney' with the element 'wort' (a bound form meaning a plant), so a learner who knows both constituents could infer it is a plant associated with kidneys (by shape or traditional use). However, the specific botanical sense ('a widely spreading evergreen shrub with flower heads in a leafy panicle') is not predictable from the parts alone and the specialized use of 'wort' may be unknown to many B1 learners, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
Kidney wort may come from the plant's shape and old herbal ideas. Its leaves look like a kidney, and wort was an old word for a 'plant' or 'herb', so the name points to a shrub people thought was linked to kidneys.
