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Glite Dictionary
Maximilian's sunflower

Maximilian's sunflower

6.8
A tall plant with yellow flowers that grows every year in central North America
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : girasol de Maximiliano
  • She identified the tall, yellow blooms as Maximilian's sunflower during the nature walk.

Examples

  • The garden was bright with Maximilian's sunflowers swaying in the autumn breeze.

  • I planted a Maximilian's sunflower in my garden.

  • Maximilian's sunflower attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

  • Have you seen a Maximilian's sunflower bloom?

  • Maximilian's sunflower attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

  • She identified the tall, yellow blooms as Maximilian's sunflower during the nature walk.

  • The garden was bright with Maximilian's sunflowers swaying in the autumn breeze.

Synonyms

Helianthus maximilianii
vsMaximilian's sunflower
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall plant that lives for several years with large yellow flowers in open fields

is the common name variant used instead of the formal scientific name

Surface Forms

Maximilian's sunflower singular
Maximilian's sunflowers plural

Morphology

Maximilian's + sunflower

The phrase is compositionally a possessive/proper-name modifier + a clear noun: a sunflower associated with (named after) Maximilian. A B1 learner who knows 'sunflower' and understands possessive/name modifiers will readily infer this refers to a particular type or variety of sunflower, even if they don't know botanical details.

Etymology

Maximilian's sunflower is named after Prince Maximilian, a German explorer who found and liked the tall yellow flowers in North America, so people gave the plant his name. The part Maximilian's shows who it is named for and the part sunflower shows it has a big yellow flower head, so the name means 'a sunflower linked to Maximilian'.