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Glite Dictionary
Petunia axillaris

Petunia axillaris

8.6
A small plant with large white flowers that open at night and smell sweet
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Petunia axillaris
  • The Petunia axillaris fills the evening air with its sweet scent as the white flowers open at dusk.

Examples

  • Researchers study Petunia axillaris to understand flower fragrance and pollination by nocturnal insects.

  • Gardeners value Petunia axillaris for its large, night-blooming blossoms and ease of cultivation.

  • The Petunia axillaris blooms beautifully at night.

  • Have you seen a Petunia axillaris flower?

  • Gardeners value Petunia axillaris for its large, night-blooming blossoms and ease of cultivation.

  • The Petunia axillaris fills the evening air with its sweet scent as the white flowers open at dusk.

  • Researchers study Petunia axillaris to understand flower fragrance and pollination by nocturnal insects.

Synonyms

large white petunia
vsPetunia axillaris
  • Specialized
6.6

A yearly garden plant with large white flowers that smell sweet at night

is the wild species native to South America rather than a cultivated ornamental

Surface Forms

Petunia axillaris singular
Petunia axillaris plural

Morphology

petunia + axillaris

A B1 learner who knows 'petunia' will readily infer that 'Petunia axillaris' names a type or species of petunia (binomial naming is a familiar compositional pattern), so the general class meaning is derivable. However, the specific epithet 'axillaris' is Latin/unknown and does not convey the detailed attributes (fragrant white, night-blooming) to learners, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Petunia axillaris may come from the South American word 'petun' for tobacco, because petunia plants are relatives of the tobacco plant, and the second word, axillaris, points to flowers that grow where a leaf meets the stem, the leaf's 'armpit'. So, the name gives a simple picture — a tobacco-like plant with flowers in the leaf 'armpits', which helps explain the scientific name.