king's spear
- noun
- Specialized
:
esparraguera
- Gardeners prize the king's spear for its fragrant yellow flowers and sturdy growth.
Examples
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The tall spikes of king's spear brighten Mediterranean gardens in late spring.
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She planted several king's spear plants along the garden path for a splash of color.
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The king's spear blooms beautifully in spring.
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I saw a king's spear in the botanical garden.
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Gardeners prize the king's spear for its fragrant yellow flowers and sturdy growth.
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The tall spikes of king's spear brighten Mediterranean gardens in late spring.
-
She planted several king's spear plants along the garden path for a splash of color.
Synonyms
A Mediterranean plant that lives many years and has tall stems and yellow fragrant flowers
A plant that lives many years with yellow flowers that smell nice and leafy stems
A Mediterranean garden plant with tall stems of sweet-smelling flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
king's + spear
The noun 'spear' evokes a spike-like shape that plausibly describes the plant's stem and flowers, so part of the meaning (a spike-shaped plant) is inferable from the constituents. However, the specific lexicalized name for Asphodeline lutea and the possessive 'king's' do not transparently signal that particular perennial species, so a B1 learner would not reliably derive the exact botanical meaning from the parts alone.
Etymology
King's spear is a name that comes from the plant's look: its tall, straight flower spike looks like a long spear fit for a king. That's why people call this attractive plant 'king's spear' today.
