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Glite Dictionary
marsh gentian

marsh gentian

1 9.9
A plant that lives many years and grows in wet open land with bright blue funnel-shaped flowers
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : gentiana de los pantanos
  • The marsh gentian blooms early in the summer across the heathlands.

Examples

  • The marsh gentian blooms beautifully in summer.

  • Conservationists are working to protect the habitat of the rare marsh gentian.

  • We spotted a beautiful marsh gentian while hiking near the wetlands.

  • I spotted a marsh gentian while hiking in the wetlands.

  • The marsh gentian is known for its striking sky-blue flowers that bloom in the summer.

  • Gardeners often seek out the marsh gentian for its beautiful funnel-shaped blooms in damp areas.

  • In the wet heathlands of Eurasia, the marsh gentian thrives and attracts many pollinators.

Synonyms

gentian
vsmarsh gentian
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A flowering plant with bright blue or purple tube-shaped flowers

names one specific species found in damp Eurasian heaths with sky blue flowers
Gentiana pneumonanthe
vsmarsh gentian
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with bright blue funnel-shaped flowers that grows in wet meadows and heaths in Europe

is the exact same species but presented under a different common name
calathian violet
vsmarsh gentian
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant that lives for several years with sky-blue, funnel-shaped flowers that grows on damp open moorland

is the same but identifies the plant as a particular species by name

Surface Forms

marsh gentian singular
marsh gentians plural

Morphology

marsh + gentian

The compound is fully compositional: 'marsh' names the wetland habitat and 'gentian' names the flowering plant, so the phrase denotes a gentian that grows in marshes. This noun–noun attributional pattern is common across languages and follows regular English compounding, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Marsh gentian gets its name from marsh, meaning 'wet land', and gentian, a plant name that, one popular story says, comes from an old king called Gentius who used the plant as 'medicine'. So the name gives a clear picture: a blue gentian that lives in wet places.