wild mandrake

9.9

A North American plant with a poisonous root and a mild edible fruit

noun
/waɪld ˈmændreɪk/

: mandrágora silvestre

The poisonous root of the wild mandrake should never be eaten raw.

Examples

Although the fruit of the wild mandrake is edible when ripe, its taste is rather bland.
In spring, the wild mandrake produces a delicate white flower under its large leaves.
I found a wild mandrake in the forest.
The wild mandrake plant can be toxic if ingested.
The poisonous root of the wild mandrake should never be eaten raw.
In spring, the wild mandrake produces a delicate white flower under its large leaves.
The wild mandrake plant can be toxic if ingested.

Synonyms

Podophyllum peltatum

vswild mandrake

Specialized

9.9

A low North American woodland plant with poisonous roots and fruit you can eat but that tastes bland

is the same plant but notes the fruit has a mild flavor

May apple

vswild mandrake

Specialized

9.9

A North American plant with large umbrella leaves, a poisonous root, and an edible yellow fruit

is the same plant but describes the fruit as mildly flavored rather than bland

Surface Forms

wild mandrake singular

wild mandrakes plural

Morphology

wild + mandrake

The meaning is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'wild' (growing naturally) modifies 'mandrake' (a type of plant), so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a mandrake that grows in the wild. This follows a common and cross-linguistically frequent compositional pattern, making the phrase immediately comprehensible despite any specific botanical synonymy (e.g. mayapple).

Etymology

The plant name wild mandrake uses wild to show it grows in the woods and mandrake to bring to mind a thick, old root; this real plant has a poisonous root but a soft, apple-like fruit. So, the name is a simple memory: the fruit can be 'edible' when ripe, but the root is 'poisonous'.