poison arrow plant
- noun
- South African
:
planta de flecha venenosa
- The poison arrow plant produces small, purplish black fruits that are often mistaken for berries.
Examples
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Berries from the poison arrow plant are easily recognized by their purplish black color.
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The poison arrow plant thrives in South African climates.
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Local communities have traditionally used the poison arrow plant for its medicinal properties.
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The garden now features a healthy poison arrow plant near the southern fence.
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I saw a beautiful poison arrow plant in the botanical garden.
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In its natural habitat, the poison arrow plant can grow up to three meters tall.
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Hikers often admire the striking flowers of the poison arrow plant along the trails.
Synonyms
A medium-sized shrubby tree from South Africa with thick evergreen leaves, white or pink flowers and round dark fruits
A medium shrub tree from South Africa that has thick shiny leaves, pink or white flowers and purple berries
An evergreen shrub or small tree from South Africa with poisonous sap
An evergreen shrub or small tree from South Africa with poisonous sap used on hunting arrows
How Toxic
- South African
2
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'poison', 'arrow', and 'plant' can readily infer this refers to a plant associated with poison used on arrows (i.e., a plant used to make arrow poison or a poisonous plant used for arrows). The meaning follows a standard modifier + head pattern rather than an idiomatic shift, so it is immediately interpretable from its parts.
Etymology
Poison arrow plant gets its name from how people long ago used the plant: they put its juice on arrows to make them poisonous, so the name links the plant and arrows to 'poison'.