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Glite Dictionary
xiphium iris

xiphium iris

9.9
A plant that grows from a bulb and has violet purple flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : iris xifio
  • Many florists value the xiphium iris for its striking violet-purple petals and elegant shape.

Examples

  • Planting xiphium iris bulbs in the autumn ensures a beautiful display the following year.

  • The gardener was proud of his collection of xiphium iris blooming in early spring.

  • The xiphium iris blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Many gardeners love the xiphium iris for its vibrant colors.

  • Many florists value the xiphium iris for its striking violet-purple petals and elegant shape.

  • Planting xiphium iris bulbs in the autumn ensures a beautiful display the following year.

  • The gardener was proud of his collection of xiphium iris blooming in early spring.

Synonyms

Iris xiphium
vsxiphium iris
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant that grows from a bulb with purple flowers native to the western Mediterranean

is the more common English name rather than the Latin form
Spanish iris
vsxiphium iris
  • UK
7.6

A plant from the western Mediterranean with purple flowers that grows from a bulb

is the botanical Latin form rather than a common regional name

Surface Forms

xiphium iris singular
xiphium irises plural

Morphology

xiphium + iris

The phrase is compositionally a modifier + noun (xiphium + iris), so 'iris' signals the category and a learner can infer it refers to a kind of iris. However 'xiphium' is a technical/taxonomic form not transparently meaningful to general learners and its specific attributes (bulbous, Mediterranean) are not derivable from common English vocabulary, making the overall expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

Xiphium iris may come from ancient Greek words: xiphium meaning 'sword' and iris meaning 'rainbow'. That picture of long, sword-like leaves and rainbow-like flowers helps explain why the name refers to a kind of iris that grows from a bulb and has violet-purple blooms.