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Glite Dictionary
Gaillardia pulchella

Gaillardia pulchella

9.9
A plant that lives for one year with bright red and yellow flowers that attract bees and butterflies
  • noun
  • /ɡeɪˈlɑːrdiə pʌlˈkɛlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gaillardia pulchella
  • Gaillardia pulchella, commonly known as the Indian blanket, produces stunning yellow flowers with red centers that attract many pollinators.

Examples

  • Gardeners value Gaillardia pulchella for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in summer.

  • Gaillardia pulchella thrives in sunny, well-drained soils and attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.

  • The wildflowers included dozens of Gaillardia pulchella blooming along the roadside.

  • The Gaillardia pulchella blooms beautifully in summer.

  • Have you seen the Gaillardia pulchella in the garden?

  • In the flower garden, the bright colors of Gaillardia pulchella stand out against the green leaves, making it a favorite among visitors.

  • During the summer, Gaillardia pulchella creates a beautiful display of blooms, providing a feast for the eyes and a habitat for bees.

Synonyms

Indian blanket
vsGaillardia pulchella
  • US
8.4

A small wildflower from the central United States with yellow petals and a red center

is the botanical name rather than the common wildflower name
fire-wheel
vsGaillardia pulchella
  • US
9.9

A garden flower with long stems and yellow petals with red centers

is identical in meaning but shown without a hyphen in standard spelling
fire wheel
vsGaillardia pulchella
  • US
9.5

A plant with tall stalks and bright yellow flowers with red or purple centers

is identical but written as one word rather than two
blanket flower
vsGaillardia pulchella
  • US
6.5

A plant with bright yellow, red or purple flowers often grown in gardens

is the native annual wildflower rather than a garden ornamental

Surface Forms

Gaillardia pulchella singular
Gaillardia pulchellas plural

Morphology

Gaillardia + pulchella

This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic) name rather than a compositional English phrase; knowing the isolated parts does not allow a B1 learner to infer 'annual plant with showy flowers'. The second element 'pulchella' is not an English word in the learners' lexicon and the genus name 'Gaillardia' functions as a proper name, so the overall meaning is not derivable from constituent meanings.

Etymology

Gaillardia pulchella has two parts: Gaillardia honors a French plant scientist, and pulchella comes from Latin meaning 'pretty little'. The bright red-and-yellow flower heads look like a small colorful blanket or wheel, so the name helps you remember it is a 'pretty little' flower often called an 'Indian blanket' or 'firewheel'.