redbird flower
- noun
- US
- The redbird flower is sometimes used in traditional medicine for its emetic effects.
Examples
-
Researchers are studying compounds from the redbird flower for their potential medicinal applications.
-
The redbird flower is valued by herbalists for its strong emetic properties, often used to induce vomiting in cases of poisoning.
-
Gardeners in tropical regions may cultivate the redbird flower for its bright blossoms.
-
The redbird flower is often used in traditional medicine.
-
Many herbalists recommend the redbird flower for its benefits.
-
In tropical gardens, the redbird flower is notable not only for its vibrant color but also for its traditional uses in treating ailments.
-
Many people are unaware that the redbird flower can be used safely in small doses, but it is known to cause vomiting if taken in larger amounts.
Synonyms
1
9.9
Low tropical American shrub whose leaves can make you vomit
A low tropical shrub whose leaves make you throw up
A low tropical plant from Central and South America that is poisonous and makes you vomit
A low tropical American shrub that can make you vomit and is grown for zigzag stems and bright flower parts
Surface Forms
Morphology
redbird + flower
While 'flower' clearly indicates a plant, the specific sense 'a low tropical American shrub with powerful emetic properties' is a lexicalized botanical meaning that cannot be predicted from 'red' + 'bird' + 'flower'. The constituent 'redbird' is not a transparent, common morpheme here, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not infer the shrub/emetic sense.
Etymology
Redbird flower may come from its bright red blossoms that look like a small bird. Because local healers used this shrub to 'make people throw up', the name now refers to a plant known for that strong effect.