vervain family
- noun
- /vərˈveɪn ˈfæmɪli/
- Specialized
:
familia de la verbena
- The vervain family includes both shrubs and flowering herbs found throughout the Americas.
Examples
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Several species in the vervain family are prized for their medicinal properties.
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Gardeners often confuse members of the vervain family with those of the mint family due to similar appearances.
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The vervain family includes many species of herbs.
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Many plants in the vervain family are used in traditional medicine.
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Gardeners often confuse members of the vervain family with those of the mint family due to similar appearances.
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Several species in the vervain family are prized for their medicinal properties.
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The vervain family includes both shrubs and flowering herbs found throughout the Americas.
Synonyms
Plants like verbena and lantana that grow in warm regions as herbs, shrubs, or small trees
A group of tropical and subtropical plants like herbs, shrubs, and trees mostly from the Americas
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built from 'vervain' (a type of plant) + 'family' (a grouping of related species), so it literally denotes the botanical family containing vervain species. The 'X family' naming pattern is productive and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The noun vervain family comes from the plant name vervain, sometimes written verbena, which people long ago called a 'sacred branch' used in rituals. Because that plant name was used for many similar plants and treated as a 'family', vervain family now means a group of related herbs, shrubs and trees.
