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Glite Dictionary
Cleistes rosea

Cleistes rosea

9.9
A small orchid from South America with one to three large pink flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cleistes rosea
  • The rare Cleistes rosea is prized among orchid enthusiasts for its vivid blossoms.

Examples

  • Botanists documented several specimens of Cleistes rosea in the rainforest region last year.

  • I photographed a beautiful Cleistes rosea while hiking in northern Brazil.

  • The Cleistes rosea blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Have you ever seen a Cleistes rosea in the wild?

  • I photographed a beautiful Cleistes rosea while hiking in northern Brazil.

  • Botanists documented several specimens of Cleistes rosea in the rainforest region last year.

  • The rare Cleistes rosea is prized among orchid enthusiasts for its vivid blossoms.

Synonyms

rosebud orchid
vsCleistes rosea
8.6

A small plant with large rose colored flowers that grows in South American forests

uses the term blossomed instead of flowered in its description
Pogonia rosea
vsCleistes rosea
  • Specialized
9.9

A bright pink orchid with large showy flowers on a tall stem

specifies the raceme contains one to three flowers

Surface Forms

Cleistes rosea singular
Cleistes roseas plural

Morphology

Cleistes + rosea

The name is a standard binomial combining the genus Cleistes (a type of terrestrial orchid) with the species epithet rosea, which in Latin means 'rose-colored' or 'pink'. For a learner who knows both constituents, the meaning ‘a Cleistes orchid that is rose-colored’ is directly and compositionally derivable, so the phrase is transparent.

Etymology

Cleistes rosea is a scientific name that describes the flower. The name Cleistes comes from a Greek word meaning 'closed', because the flower parts often sit tightly together, and rosea is Latin for 'pink'. So the name helps you remember it is an orchid with 'pink' or 'rose-colored' flowers.