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pokeweed family

pokeweed family

9.8
A group of mainly tropical plants like small shrubs and herbs with flowers on long stems
  • noun
  • /ˈpoʊkˌwiːd ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de la hierba poke
  • Scientists studied genetic differences among species within the pokeweed family.

Examples

  • Some members of the pokeweed family are cultivated for their striking berries and foliage.

  • The pokeweed family includes a variety of tropical plants found around the world.

  • The pokeweed family includes several species that thrive in humid environments.

  • Some members of the pokeweed family can be found in tropical regions.

  • Scientists studied genetic differences among species within the pokeweed family.

  • Some members of the pokeweed family are cultivated for their striking berries and foliage.

  • The pokeweed family includes several species that thrive in humid environments.

Synonyms

Phytolaccaceae
vspokeweed family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of mainly tropical plants like herbs, shrubs or trees that have flowers in long clusters

focuses mainly on herbaceous tropical plants rather than all growth forms

Surface Forms

Morphology

pokeweed + family

The phrase is transparently compositional: 'pokeweed' names a plant and 'family' denotes a taxonomic/grouping, so 'pokeweed family' straightforwardly means a group of species related to pokeweed. This noun-noun scientific naming pattern is common and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pokeweed family is named after the plant pokeweed, and the word poke may come from a Native American name for that plant. So the phrase means the plant family or group of species that are like pokeweed.