moss campion
- noun
- /mɔs ˈkæmpɪən/
- Specialized
:
silene
- Hikers spotted patches of moss campion blooming across the alpine slopes.
Examples
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The delicate flowers of the moss campion brightened the rocky tundra.
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The moss campion blooms beautifully in the summer.
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Moss campion survives harsh Arctic conditions by growing low to the ground.
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Have you ever seen a moss campion in the wild?
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In the rocky terrain of the mountains, the moss campion blooms with vibrant pink flowers during the brief summer.
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The moss campion creates a beautiful carpet of color on the alpine slopes, attracting bees and butterflies.
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Hikers often spot the moss campion while traversing the tundra, as its delicate petals stand out against the green moss.
Synonyms
4
9.8
A plant with bright flowers that grows in meadows and fields
A low plant that grows in dense round cushions with small pink flowers in cold mountains and the Arctic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun-noun compound composes 'moss' (a mat-forming nonflowering plant) with 'campion' (a flowering plant), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a campion that grows in a moss-like, tufted or mat-forming way. While the precise species name and botanical details might be unfamiliar, the core meaning is transparently derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Moss campion may come from how the plant looks: it grows in low, round clumps like moss, and campion was an old word for a 'small field flower'. So the name reminds us it is a tiny, cushion-like flower that grows on cold mountain rocks.