moonseed

9.9

A vine with red or black berries that have moon-shaped seeds and are poisonous

noun
/ˈmuːnˌsiːd/

Specialized

: semilla de luna

Most of these are animals, plants, rocks, or diseases: moon blindness, mooneye, moonfish, moonflower, moonlet, moonquake, moonseed, moon shell.

Examples

The moonseed plant grows wild in many parts of North America, producing distinctive red berries.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Common Moonseed

Academic text (1999)
Children learned about the moonseed during a nature walk, identifying the crescent-shaped seeds inside the berries.
In his garden, he planted various vines, including moonseed, known for its unique, crescent-shaped seeds.

Compounds

Canada moonseed

9.9

A woody vine with large oval leaves, small white flowers, and purple fruit that is poisonous

Carolina moonseed

9.7

A woody climbing plant from the southeastern United States with red fruit

common moonseed

9.3

A woody climbing plant from eastern North America with large oval leaves and dark blue or purple berries

moonseed family

Specialized

9.5

A family of climbing plants with crescent-shaped seeds

Surface Forms

moonseed singular

moonseeds plural

Morphology

moonseed = moon + seed (semi-transparent) = moon + seed

The compound is compositionally clear (moon + seed), but identifying the exact plant species and the specific botanical sense requires specialized knowledge, so the link is not fully transparent for average learners.

Etymology

Moonseed comes from the parts moon and seed, because the plant's seeds are shaped like a small 'moon' or 'crescent'. So, imagine a tiny moon inside each berry to remember that moonseed is a vine with crescent-shaped seeds and fruit that can be poisonous.