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Glite Dictionary
Oxalis caprina

Oxalis caprina

9.9
A small plant from South Africa with blue flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pie de cabra
  • The bluish flowers of Oxalis caprina make it a popular choice among collectors.

Examples

  • The Oxalis caprina thrives well in the warm climate of South Africa.

  • The garden featured several clumps of Oxalis caprina blooming in the spring.

  • Botanists studied the adaptations of Oxalis caprina to South African soils.

  • Look at the Oxalis caprina!

  • The Oxalis caprina is known for its beautiful bluish flowers.

  • The garden featured several clumps of Oxalis caprina blooming in the spring.

  • The bluish flowers of Oxalis caprina make it a popular choice among collectors.

Synonyms

goat's foot
vsOxalis caprina
  • South African
9.9

A small South African plant with bluish flowers and leaves shaped like a goat's foot

is the formal botanical name placing the plant in its scientific genus
goatsfoot
vsOxalis caprina
  • South African
9.9

A short plant from South Africa with blue flowers and leaves shaped like a goat's hoof

is the formal botanical name placing the plant in its scientific genus

Surface Forms

Oxalis caprina singular
Oxalis caprinas plural

Morphology

Oxalis + caprina

Knowing 'Oxalis' would tell a learner this is a species in the Oxalis plant genus, so part of the meaning (that it is a plant) is recoverable. However, 'caprina' is not an English lexical item here (no dictionary definition provided) and is a Latin species epithet whose descriptive sense (if any) is not predictable to a B1 learner, so the full, specific meaning is not transparently derivable.

Etymology

Oxalis caprina may come from old words that describe the plant: Oxalis points to its 'sour' leaves and caprina means 'goat-like', perhaps because goats ate it or it grew where goats grazed. So the name creates a simple picture of a small sour plant linked with goats, which makes it easier to remember.