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Glite Dictionary
Himantoglossum hircinum

Himantoglossum hircinum

9.9
An orchid with long twisted flowers and a strong goat-like smell
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Himantoglossum hircinum
  • The strong, goat-like fragrance of Himantoglossum hircinum helps attract pollinating insects.

Examples

  • The Himantoglossum hircinum is well known for its unusual, spiral-shaped flowers resembling lizards.

  • On our hike through the hills, we marveled at the unique beauty of the Himantoglossum hircinum, with its long, twisted flowers.

  • Botanists discovered a vibrant cluster of Himantoglossum hircinum in the limestone meadows of southern France.

  • The Himantoglossum hircinum blooms in late spring.

  • I saw a Himantoglossum hircinum during my hike in Italy.

  • In Europe, the Himantoglossum hircinum is celebrated for its captivating lizard-like blooms that draw many nature enthusiasts.

  • The sweet, distinctive aroma of Himantoglossum hircinum fills the air, enticing various insects to come and pollinate.

Synonyms

lizard orchid
vsHimantoglossum hircinum
  • UK
9.9

A European wild flower with green flowers that look like small lizards

is the scientific species label highlighting long twisted labellum and strong scent

Surface Forms

Himantoglossum hircinum singular
Himantoglossum hircinums plural

Morphology

Himantoglossum + hircinum

This is a Latin scientific name rather than a compositional English phrase: the genus label and the specific epithet function as a taxonomic label, and the second element ('hircinum') is not a recognisable English word. Even if a learner knows 'Himantoglossum' means a genus of orchids, they cannot derive the species-level meaning (appearance, scent, or common name) from the constituents, so the overall meaning is not predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Himantoglossum hircinum comes from old words that describe the plant's flower and smell. Himantoglossum means 'strap-tongue' and gives the image of the long, twisted flower part, and hircinum means 'goat-like', which explains the strong, goat-like scent, so the name points to the orchid's shape and smell.