verbena family
- noun
- /vərˈbiːnə ˈfæmɪli/
- Specialized
- Scientists recently discovered new species within the verbena family in South America.
Examples
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The verbena family includes many ornamental plants popular in gardens worldwide.
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The verbena family includes many beautiful flowering plants.
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Several medicinal herbs belong to the verbena family due to their beneficial properties.
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Many gardeners love the verbena family for its vibrant colors.
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The verbena family includes various species that thrive in warm climates and are often used in gardens.
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Many plants in the verbena family are prized for their beautiful flowers and attract butterflies.
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This herb belongs to the verbena family, which is known for its aromatic leaves and medicinal properties.
Synonyms
Plants like verbena and lantana that grow in warm regions as herbs, shrubs, or small trees
A group of tropical and subtropical flowering plants like shrubs and herbs that grow mainly in the Americas
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'verbena' names a flowering plant and 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping, so together they mean the botanical family related to verbena. This noun + family pattern is a transparent, cross-linguistic way to name related species, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Verbena family comes from the plant name verbena and the word family, where family means a 'group' of related plants. Verbena was used long ago by the Romans in special ceremonies, so the phrase now means 'a group of plants related to verbena'.