Parry's pinyon
- noun
- US
- Botanists studied the distribution of Parry's pinyon across southern California.
Examples
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Birds depend on the seeds of Parry's pinyon as a vital food source.
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The forest was dominated by Parry's pinyon and other native conifers.
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Look at that Parry's pinyon!
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The Parry's pinyon is beautiful.
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Birds depend on the seeds of Parry's pinyon as a vital food source.
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Botanists studied the distribution of Parry's pinyon across southern California.
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The forest was dominated by Parry's pinyon and other native conifers.
Synonyms
A small pine tree with groups of five needles from California and Baja California, sometimes with three or four needles
Surface Forms
Morphology
Parry's + pinyon
The form is a possessive proper-name + noun (Parry's pinyon) where the head noun 'pinyon' gives the core meaning (a type of pine). A B1 learner who knows 'pinyon' and the possessive pattern will readily infer this refers to a particular species or variety of pinyon, so the meaning is compositionally transparent.
Etymology
Parry's pinyon is the name of a small pine tree: Parry's shows it was named for a plant collector called Parry, and pinyon means a pine that makes small seeds you can eat, or 'pine nuts'. So the name helps you remember both the person and the nut-producing pine.