Australian sword lily
- noun
- Australian
:
lirio espada australiano
- Botanists are studying the unique woolly flowers of the Australian sword lily.
Examples
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The Australian sword lily blooms in early spring, adding a splash of color to native gardens.
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The Australian sword lily thrives in sandy soils and open woodlands across Australia.
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Look at that Australian sword lily!
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Wow, those Australian sword lilies are stunning!
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The Australian sword lily blooms vibrantly in the spring, attracting many pollinators.
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In Australia, the Australian sword lily is often found in areas with well-drained sandy soil.
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Gardeners appreciate the Australian sword lily for its unique, woolly flowers and springtime display.
Synonyms
An Australian plant that flowers in spring and has clumps of red and green furry flowers
A plant from Australia with long grasslike leaves and fuzzy flower clusters
An Australian plant with fuzzy spring flowers shaped like a kangaroo's foot
An Australian plant with soft, tube-shaped flowers often grown in gardens
A group of Australian plants with woolly flowers on tall stems like kangaroo's paw
An Australian plant with long leaves and bright fuzzy flowers shaped like tubes
Surface Forms
Morphology
Australian + sword + lily
The phrase names a plant: 'lily' (a flower) modified by 'sword' (indicating a sword-like shape) and 'Australian' (origin), so the overall meaning is compositionally derivable as a lily from Australia with sword-shaped features. This descriptive compound follows regular noun-modifier patterns found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer its meaning.
Etymology
Australian sword lily probably comes from how the plant looks. One popular story says its long, narrow leaves are like a sword and its flowers look like a lily, and because it grows in Australia the name gives a clear picture, so it means 'a plant with long, sword-like leaves and lily-like flowers from Australia'.
