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Glite Dictionary
Myrica cerifera

Myrica cerifera

9.9
An evergreen shrub or small tree with waxy white berries used to make candles
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Myrica cerifera
  • The berries of Myrica cerifera were once harvested to make bayberry candles.

Examples

  • Wildlife often feed on the waxy berries produced by Myrica cerifera.

  • Gardeners value Myrica cerifera for its hardiness and aromatic foliage.

  • The Myrica cerifera is commonly found in coastal areas.

  • Have you ever seen a Myrica cerifera tree?

  • Gardeners value Myrica cerifera for its aromatic foliage and the waxy berries that can be used for making candles.

  • The berries of Myrica cerifera are harvested in autumn and are known for their high wax content, which is ideal for candle making.

  • In the southeastern United States, Myrica cerifera is popular for creating bayberry candles due to the distinctive waxy coating on its berries.

Synonyms

wax myrtle
vsMyrica cerifera
  • US
1 7.9

A shrub or small tree with fragrant leaves and small berries with a shiny covering

is the same species but emphasizes southeastern origin and candle use
puckerbush
vsMyrica cerifera
  • US
9.9

A small evergreen shrub with a strong smell and white wax berries used for candles

is the same shrub but described more generally without naming candle use
bay myrtle
vsMyrica cerifera
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen shrub or small tree with a strong smell and berries covered in white wax used to make candles

is similar but focuses less on the thickness of the coating

Surface Forms

Myrica cerifera singular
Myrica ceriferas plural

Morphology

Myrica + cerifera

This is a taxonomic binomial formed compositionally: the genus 'Myrica' plus the species epithet 'cerifera' (literally 'wax-bearing' from Latin roots) yields the meaning 'a Myrica that bears or has wax-coated berries'. If a learner knows the constituent senses (including the Latin-derived 'cerifera'), the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

The plant name Myrica cerifera comes from the white wax that covers its berries. People used to boil the berries to get wax 'to make candles', so cerifera means 'wax-bearing' and the name points to the shrub's waxy berries.