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Glite Dictionary
Lonicera xylosteum

Lonicera xylosteum

9.9
A honeysuckle bush with pale yellow flowers and red berries that are mildly poisonous
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lonicera xylosteum
  • Gardeners often plant Lonicera xylosteum for its decorative flowers and dense foliage.

Examples

  • The berries of the Lonicera xylosteum are bright red but considered mildly toxic to humans.

  • In spring, the Lonicera xylosteum blooms with yellowish-white flowers that attract pollinators.

  • Lonicera xylosteum prefers shady woodlands and is native to parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

  • The Lonicera xylosteum is often found in gardens across Europe.

  • Many people admire the beauty of Lonicera xylosteum flowers.

  • The Lonicera xylosteum is a popular choice among landscapers due to its striking scarlet berries.

  • While hiking, we spotted a Lonicera xylosteum growing abundantly in the shaded areas of the forest.

Synonyms

European fly honeysuckle
vsLonicera xylosteum
  • UK
9.0

A small shrub with pairs of yellowish-white flowers and bright red berries often grown in gardens

is the scientific name used for the same cultivated shrub

Surface Forms

Lonicera xylosteum singular
Lonicera xylosteums plural

Morphology

Lonicera + xylosteum

The element 'Lonicera' signals the honeysuckle genus, so a learner who knows that will infer this is a type of honeysuckle shrub; however the species epithet 'xylosteum' is not an English lexical item (and is not transparent to a B1 learner), and the specific common name and traits (e.g. 'fly honeysuckle', flower and berry colors) cannot be derived from it. Because the genus gives a clear partial cue but the full, specific meaning remains unpredictable without botanical knowledge, the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Lonicera xylosteum mixes a person's name and a simple picture: Lonicera honors a long-ago herbalist, Adam Lonicer, and one popular story says xylosteum comes from old Greek words meaning 'wood', because this plant is a small woody shrub, so the name helps you remember it is a woody honeysuckle with pale flowers and bright red berries.