running pine

8.8

A small plant with long trailing stems that spreads across the ground

noun

: pino rastrero

In the forest, the running pine spreads across the ground with its distinctive trailing stems.

Examples

The delicate foliage of running pine resembles tiny pine needles, though it is not a true pine.
The running pine thrives in shaded areas of the temperate forest.
Some traditional herbal remedies use running pine as an ingredient for their preparations.
The running pine thrives in shaded areas.
I found a running pine in the forest.
In the forest, the running pine spreads across the ground with its distinctive trailing stems.
The delicate foliage of running pine resembles tiny pine needles, though it is not a true pine.

Synonyms

Lycopodium clavatum

vsrunning pine

Specialized

9.9

A small green plant with many thin stems that grows on the ground in forests

refers to the same plant but emphasizes trailing stems and arctic occurrence

ground pine

vsrunning pine

8.2

A low plant with long creeping stems and upright branches that looks like a small pine tree

names a single species with long trailing stems and a wider arctic range

Surface Forms

running pine singular

running pines plural

Morphology

running + pine

The compound visually combines 'running' (moving/spreading) with 'pine' (a type of evergreen), so a learner could plausibly infer it denotes a spreading/creeping evergreen plant. However, the specific referent is a club moss (not a true pine) and the botanical sense of 'running' (meaning trailing/creeping) may be unfamiliar to a B1 learner, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Running pine may come from its long stems that seem to run along the ground and its tiny leaves that look like a pine's needles. So the name helps you picture a low plant that creeps across the forest floor like a small pine.