sea milkwort
- noun
- US
:
hierba de leche del mar
- The delicate pink flowers of the sea milkwort add color to coastal salt marshes in the summer.
Examples
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We found several sea milkwort plants growing along the edge of the marsh.
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Botanists are studying how sea milkwort adapts to salty environments near the shore.
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The sea milkwort blooms beautifully in the summer.
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Many sea milkworts can be found along the coast.
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The delicate pink flowers of the sea milkwort add color to coastal salt marshes in the summer.
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We found several sea milkwort plants growing along the edge of the marsh.
-
Botanists are studying how sea milkwort adapts to salty environments near the shore.
Synonyms
A small coastal plant that grows in salty marshes and has pink or white flowers
A small plant with thick leaves and pink or white flowers that grows by the sea and in salty marshes
A small plant with thick leaves and pink or white flowers that grows on seashores and marshes
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'sea milkwort' is directly interpretable as a type of milkwort associated with the sea or coastal habitat: the first noun 'sea' specifies location/ habitat and the head noun 'milkwort' names the plant. This straightforward noun+noun composition is a common, compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name sea milkwort comes from an old idea: milkwort was a plant people believed would 'help make milk', and sea shows it grows by the sea. So the name means a 'milk-helping' plant from the shore, which fits this small plant with pink or white flowers.
