Lilium candidum
- noun
- Specialized
:
Lilium candidum
- The Lilium candidum is often referred to as the Madonna lily for its striking white blooms.
Examples
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Gardeners prize Lilium candidum for its beauty and its fragrance in early summer.
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Historically, Lilium candidum has been used in medicinal remedies throughout the Mediterranean.
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The Lilium candidum blooms beautifully in spring.
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Have you seen the Lilium candidum in the garden?
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Gardeners prize Lilium candidum for its beauty and its fragrance in early summer.
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The Lilium candidum is often referred to as the Madonna lily for its striking white blooms.
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Have you seen the Lilium candidum in the garden?
Synonyms
A white spring flower with broad funnel-shaped petals from the eastern Mediterranean
A large white garden flower with wide trumpet-shaped blooms
A white lily from the eastern Mediterranean often shown in Christian art
How Specific
Surface Forms
Morphology
Lilium + candidum
Although 'candidum' is not listed in the provided dictionary entry, it is the Latin adjective (from candidus) meaning 'white/bright', and 'Lilium' names the lily genus; together they literally mean 'white lily', which matches the provided definition. Botanical binomials are compositional (genus + descriptive epithet) and this color-based pattern is cross-linguistically transparent, so a learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Lilium candidum comes from Latin words: lilium means 'lily' and candidum means 'white' or 'bright'. Because the flowers are large, pure white and sweet-smelling, people long ago linked them to the Virgin Mary and called the plant the 'Madonna lily', so the name points to its white, fragrant blooms.