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Glite Dictionary
Cape tulip

Cape tulip

9.5
A South African flowering plant with bright red, cup-shaped flowers and thick leaves
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : tulipán del Cabo
  • We admired the vibrant, coral-red flowers of the Cape tulip during our hike through the botanical reserve.

Examples

  • In South Africa, the Cape tulip is admired for its large reddish-purple-barred leaves.

  • The Cape tulip can add a splash of color to your garden in early spring.

  • Farmers in Australia consider the Cape tulip to be an invasive weed toxic to livestock.

  • The Cape tulip blooms beautifully in spring.

  • I saw a stunning Cape tulip in the garden.

  • The Cape tulip produces bright coral-red flowers that attract many pollinators in the spring.

  • Gardeners love to plant the Cape tulip for its unique cup-shaped flowers and vibrant colors.

Synonyms

Haemanthus coccineus
vsCape tulip
  • Specialized
9.9

A South African bulb plant with large flat leaves and bright red flower heads

focuses on cup-shaped coral-red flowers with yellow stamens rather than clustered heads

How Showy

ornamental
1 4.8
Cape tulip
  • South African
9.5
garden plant
1 1.0

Surface Forms

Cape tulip singular
Cape tulips plural

Morphology

Cape + tulip

The noun phrase is compositional: 'cape' here functions as a place-name modifier (as in the Cape of Good Hope) that specifies the origin or association of the 'tulip', so the meaning 'a tulip from the Cape/region' is directly derivable from the parts. This place+noun naming pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would reliably infer the basic meaning.

Etymology

Cape tulip comes from the plant's home in the Cape of South Africa and from the way its bright, cup-shaped flowers looked like small tulips. So, Cape points to the region and tulip to the flower shape, and the name today simply means 'a tulip-like plant from the Cape'.