Lithocarpus glabra

9.9

A small evergreen tree from China and Japan in the beech family

noun

Specialized

: Lithocarpus glabra

The leaves of Lithocarpus glabra are glossy and remain green throughout the year.

Examples

Many gardens in China feature Lithocarpus glabra for its attractive evergreen foliage.
Botanists collected samples of Lithocarpus glabra from a forest in central Japan.
The Lithocarpus glabra is known for its glossy leaves.
Have you seen a Lithocarpus glabra in bloom?
Many gardens in China feature Lithocarpus glabra for its attractive evergreen foliage.
The leaves of Lithocarpus glabra are glossy and remain green throughout the year.
Botanists collected samples of Lithocarpus glabra from a forest in central Japan.

Synonyms

Lithocarpus glaber

vsLithocarpus glabra

Specialized

9.9

A small evergreen tree from China and Japan related to the beech tree

is the same plant but has a different accepted spelling

Surface Forms

Lithocarpus glabra singular

Lithocarpus glabras plural

Morphology

Lithocarpus + glabra

This is a Latin binomial (a scientific species name) rather than a compositional English phrase, so its specific sense as a particular tree species is a proper-name label that cannot be derived from ordinary word meanings. The second element 'glabra' is not an English lexical item for B1 learners, and even knowing 'Lithocarpus' as a tree genus would not allow a learner to infer the species’ properties or native range, making the expression non-compositional for typical learners.

Etymology

Lithocarpus glabra comes from Greek and Latin words: litho meaning 'stone' and carpus meaning 'fruit' because the tree has very hard nuts like acorns, and glabra means 'smooth', so the name shows the tree has hard fruit and smooth leaves.