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Glite Dictionary
Exacum affine

Exacum affine

9.9
A houseplant that lives for many years with fragrant blue or lavender flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Exacum affine
  • The florist recommended Exacum affine as an attractive and fragrant houseplant.

Examples

  • The Exacum affine blooms beautifully on my windowsill every spring.

  • Many plant enthusiasts choose Exacum affine for its low maintenance and lovely scent.

  • I bought an Exacum affine for my living room.

  • The Exacum affine blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Many plant enthusiasts choose Exacum affine for its fragrant lavender flowers and low maintenance needs.

  • The Exacum affine is known for its stunning dark lavender blossoms, making it a popular choice for houseplants.

  • My friend gifted me an Exacum affine because she loves how its sweet scent fills the room.

Synonyms

Persian violet
vsExacum affine
7.2

A small houseplant with sweet smelling bluish to dark lavender flowers

is the plant's formal botanical name rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Exacum affine singular
Exacum affines plural

Morphology

Exacum + affine

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name, a lexicalized taxonomic label rather than a compositional English phrase; its specific sense ('a particular species of perennial houseplant with fragrant flowers') cannot be deduced from the parts. Even if a learner recognised 'Exacum' as a plant genus or knew a Latin-derived sense of 'affine', the detailed species identity and descriptive meaning are not predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Exacum affine may come from gardeners who thought its small, bluish or light purple flowers looked like little violets. The word affine means 'related to', so the name gives the simple image of a tiny plant 'related to' violets, which helps explain its look and nice scent.