sun spurge
- noun
- /sʌn spɜrdʒ/
- UK
:
euphorbia helioscopia
- Botanists studied the way sun spurge flowers tilt towards the light during the day.
Examples
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You can identify sun spurge by its small leaves and the unique cluster of yellow-green flowers.
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The sun spurge often invades gardens, thriving in sunny, open soil.
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The sun spurge blooms in early spring.
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Many gardeners dislike the sun spurge for its invasive nature.
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Many gardeners dislike sun spurge because it tends to crowd out other plants in their flowerbeds.
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In spring, sun spurge showcases vibrant yellow-green flowers that follow the path of the sun.
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You can easily spot sun spurge growing along roadsides, where it flourishes in bright sunlight.
Synonyms
A small common plant with yellow-green flowers that turn toward the sun
A European weed with milky sap and small yellow flowers that face the sun
A European weed with small flowers that turn toward the sun
A small European wildflower with flowers that face the sun and is thought to cure warts
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward modifier+head compound: 'sun' specifies the type or association of 'spurge' (a plant), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of spurge related to the sun (e.g., turning toward or associated with sunlight). Although it names a particular species, the compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, making the meaning predictable.
Etymology
Sun spurge gets its name from a clear picture: its small yellow-green flowers turn to face the sun, so the plant looks like it follows the light. The word spurge is an old name for this kind of small 'weed', so the name simply means 'a spurge that faces the sun'.
