Cornus mas
- noun
- Specialized
:
cornis mas
- Botanists observed that Cornus mas blooms early each spring, brightening gardens before many other shrubs.
Examples
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The fruit of the Cornus mas is often used to make jams and syrups in Eastern Europe.
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Our neighbor planted a Cornus mas tree for its showy yellow flowers and edible red berries.
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The Cornus mas tree produces beautiful red fruits.
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Did you see the Cornus mas in the garden?
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The Cornus mas produces bright red berries that attract many birds.
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In spring, the Cornus mas tree blooms with small yellow flowers before producing fruit.
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Gardeners often choose Cornus mas for its decorative value and edible fruit.
Synonyms
A small European tree or bush that grows bright red fruit you can eat
Surface Forms
Morphology
Cornus + mas
This is a Latin botanical binomial: 'Cornus' names the dogwood genus while 'mas' is a Latin species epithet (not a normal English word). The combination functions as a technical taxonomic label rather than a compositional English phrase, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive the specific meaning 'a deciduous shrub/small tree with bright red, cherry-like fruit.'
Etymology
Cornus mas gets its name from old Latin: Cornus meant very hard, 'horn-like' wood and mas meant 'male', but the easiest memory is the plant itself — a small tree with bright red, cherry-like fruit and early yellow flowers. That's why the name refers to this edible, showy shrub used for jams.
