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Glite Dictionary
Darlingtonia californica

Darlingtonia californica

9.9
A plant that eats insects with hooded, tube-shaped leaves called the cobra lily
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Darlingtonia californica
  • Darlingtonia californica is a rare carnivorous plant with pitcher-like leaves found in northern California.

Examples

  • Collectors admire Darlingtonia californica for its unique insect-trapping pitchers.

  • The wetlands of northern California are home to populations of Darlingtonia californica.

  • Darlingtonia californica is often called the cobra lily because of its distinctive hooded leaves.

  • The Darlingtonia californica is often referred to as the cobra lily.

  • Have you ever seen a Darlingtonia californica in the wild?

  • Gardeners often seek Darlingtonia californica for its ability to trap insects in its unique pitchers.

  • In its natural habitat, Darlingtonia californica thrives in the cool, wet conditions of wetlands.

Synonyms

Darlingtonia
vsDarlingtonia californica
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant from California and Oregon with tube-shaped leaves that trap insects

is the species name stressing both pitcher-like leaves and yellow-green flowers
California pitcher plant
vsDarlingtonia californica
  • Specialized
8.5

A marsh plant from northern California and Oregon with twisted cup-shaped leaves that trap insects and hanging yellow-green flowers

highlights simple tubular pitcher-like leaves rather than twisted or winged ones

Surface Forms

Darlingtonia californica singular

Morphology

Darlingtonia + californica

The phrase is a taxonomic binomial formed from a genus name (Darlingtonia) and a Latin adjectival epithet (californica) indicating geographic origin; if a learner knew both constituents they could infer it denotes the Darlingtonia species from California. However, binomial naming and Latinized epithets are specialized conventions and 'californica' is not a common English word, so the relation is only partially accessible to an average B1 learner without background knowledge.

Etymology

Darlingtonia californica is named after a plant scientist: Darlingtonia honors William Darlington and californica means 'from California'. Its hooded, pitcher-like leaves look like a cobra's head and a lily, so people call it the 'cobra lily' and the name fits this insect-catching plant.