Alpine enchanter's nightshade
- noun
- UK
- The delicate flowers of the Alpine enchanter's nightshade can be found in shaded mountain forests.
Examples
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Hikers often overlook the small, white blossoms of Alpine enchanter's nightshade among the undergrowth.
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The Alpine enchanter's nightshade thrives in cool, moist woodlands.
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Botanists were excited to discover a rare patch of Alpine enchanter's nightshade near the glacier.
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Have you seen the Alpine enchanter's nightshade blooming this spring?
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The delicate flowers of the Alpine enchanter's nightshade can be found in shaded mountain forests.
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Hikers often overlook the small, white blossoms of Alpine enchanter's nightshade among the undergrowth.
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The Alpine enchanter's nightshade thrives in cool, moist woodlands.
Synonyms
A small mountain plant with delicate flowers that grows in cool northern areas
Surface Forms
Morphology
alpine + enchanter's + nightshade
The phrase is a transparent adjectival compound: 'alpine' specifies a high-mountain habitat and 'enchanter's nightshade' names a particular plant, so together they indicate the mountain-dwelling variety of that plant. This straightforward composition (adjective + noun phrase) follows regular English naming patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Alpine enchanter's nightshade may come from old folk stories and a simple description: Alpine tells you it grows in the mountains, enchanter's suggests people once thought the plant had a small magic or charm, and nightshade is a common name for plants that grow in shady woods. So the name helps you remember it is a small mountain plant that people once linked to a kind of 'enchantment'.