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Glite Dictionary
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

9.9
A small plant with thick, fleshy leaves that look like ice crystals and white flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
  • Gardeners often plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum for its unique, sparkling leaves that resemble frost.

Examples

  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum thrives in sandy soils with plenty of sunlight and minimal water.

  • The coastal dunes were covered with Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, making the landscape appear as if dusted with ice.

  • The Mesembryanthemum crystallinum blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen a Mesembryanthemum crystallinum before?

  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum thrives in sandy soils with plenty of sunlight and minimal water.

  • Gardeners often plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum for its unique, sparkling leaves that resemble frost.

  • The coastal dunes were covered with Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, making the landscape appear as if dusted with ice.

Synonyms

ice plant
vsMesembryanthemum crystallinum
1 7.0

A low plant with thick leaves that look covered in tiny shiny hairs like ice

is a single species with crystalline fleshy foliage native to Africa and Europe

Surface Forms

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum singular
Mesembryanthemum crystallinums plural

Morphology

Mesembryanthemum + crystallinum

This is a binomial taxonomic name composed of a genus and a descriptive Latin epithet; if a learner knew 'Mesembryanthemum' (a plant genus) and recognized that 'crystallinum' relates to 'crystalline' (ice-like, crystal), they could infer the plant has crystal-like fleshy foliage. However, the elements are Latinized and technical (and one constituent is not dictionary-listed), so the meaning is only partly recoverable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum gets its name from its shiny leaves: the second word crystallinum means 'crystal-like' because the thick leaves are covered in tiny clear bumps that look like ice or glass. That's why the name helps you remember it as the plant with sparkling, frosty-looking leaves.