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striped gentian

striped gentian

9.9
A blue-violet wildflower with stripes that grows in wet meadows in eastern North America
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : gentiana rayada
  • In late summer, the striped gentian adds a splash of blue to the wet meadows.

Examples

  • The conservation team is working to protect habitats vital for the striped gentian.

  • Hikers often pause to admire the unusual flowers of the striped gentian along wooded trails.

  • The striped gentian blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • I saw a striped gentian while hiking in the woods.

  • Hikers often pause to admire the unusual flowers of the striped gentian along wooded trails.

  • In late summer, the striped gentian adds a splash of blue to the wet meadows.

  • The conservation team is working to protect habitats vital for the striped gentian.

Surface Forms

Morphology

striped + gentian

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'striped' describes the appearance and 'gentian' names the flower, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a gentian with stripes. This adjective+noun pattern is a common, literal, cross-linguistic construction (botanical naming), making the meaning predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Striped gentian names a small blue wild 'flower'. The word gentian is the name for a type of blue 'flower' and striped points to the clear stripes on its petals, so the name tells you it is a blue, striped 'plant'.