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Glite Dictionary
Cyclamen hederifolium

Cyclamen hederifolium

1 9.9
A wild European flower with pink blooms and ivy-shaped leaves that grows in woods
  • noun
  • Specialized
: ciclámen hederifolium
  • Many woodland areas in southern Europe are carpeted by Cyclamen hederifolium in autumn.

Examples

  • The shady garden bed was filled with the delicate pink blossoms of Cyclamen hederifolium.

  • Gardeners appreciate Cyclamen hederifolium for its attractive foliage and hardiness.

  • Look at this Cyclamen hederifolium!

  • The Cyclamen hederifolium blooms beautifully in early spring.

  • Many woodland areas in southern Europe are carpeted by Cyclamen hederifolium in autumn.

  • The shady garden bed was filled with the delicate pink blossoms of Cyclamen hederifolium.

  • Gardeners appreciate Cyclamen hederifolium for its attractive foliage and hardiness.

Synonyms

sowbread
vsCyclamen hederifolium
  • UK
9.9

A small wild plant often grown in gardens with heart-shaped leaves and pink or purple flowers

naturally grows wild in woodlands rather than mainly in gardens

Surface Forms

Cyclamen hederifolium singular
Cyclamen hederifoliums plural

Morphology

Cyclamen + hederifolium

This is a botanical Latin binomial: 'Cyclamen' names the genus but 'hederifolium' is a Latin species epithet (literally 'ivy‑leaved') that is not an English word and is absent from the dictionary entry. A B1 learner who knows the English word 'cyclamen' but not Latin morphology would not be able to derive the full meaning from the constituents, so the expression is not transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Cyclamen hederifolium comes from old words: hederifolium means 'ivy-leaf' because its leaves look like small ivy, and cyclamen comes from a word for 'circle', likely for its round root or the curled shape of the flowers. So the name describes a cyclamen with ivy-shaped leaves.