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Glite Dictionary
saxifrage family

saxifrage family

9.9
A group of mostly small flowering plants that grow in cold northern mountains and on rocks
  • noun
  • /ˈsæksɪˌfreɪdʒ ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las saxífragas
  • Many alpine plants belong to the saxifrage family, thriving in rocky, mountainous environments.

Examples

  • Botanists sometimes debate whether certain genera should be classified within the saxifrage family or in separate families.

  • The saxifrage family includes both evergreen and deciduous species found across the Northern Hemisphere.

  • The saxifrage family includes many species that thrive in rocky soils.

  • Did you know that the saxifrage family contains over 400 species?

  • Many alpine plants belong to the saxifrage family, thriving in rocky, mountainous environments.

  • The saxifrage family includes both evergreen and deciduous species found across the Northern Hemisphere.

  • Botanists sometimes debate whether certain genera should be classified within the saxifrage family or in separate families.

Synonyms

Saxifragaceae
vssaxifrage family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small flowering plants that grow in cool or mountain regions

is broader, defined to include the main genera and related groups

Surface Forms

saxifrage family singular
saxifrage families plural

Morphology

saxifrage + family

The meaning is directly compositional: ‘saxifrage’ (the plant/genus) combined with ‘family’ (a taxonomic grouping) yields the family that contains saxifrages. This noun + family construction is a regular, cross‑linguistically common pattern and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Saxifrage family may come from the old Latin word saxifrage, which combines words meaning 'rock' and 'to break'. Many of these plants grow in cracks in rocks and seem to 'break' the stone, so the name helps you remember that they are often found in rocky, mountainous places.