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Glite Dictionary
Pinus muricata

Pinus muricata

1 9.9
A pine tree from the northwest coast of California, often with two or three needles together
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pino de obispo
  • The Pinus muricata thrives in the coastal regions of California, providing habitat for various wildlife.

Examples

  • 1996. Community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi in a Pinus muricata forest: Above- and below-ground views. Canadian Journal of Botany 74: 1572-1583.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Researchers found that Pinus muricata has unique adaptations to survive in its native environment.

  • You can identify the Pinus muricata by its clusters of two or three needles on each branch.

Synonyms

bishop pine
vsPinus muricata
  • Specialized
9.2

A pine tree from the northern California coast with two or three needles in each group

is the formal species name used for that same California pine
bishop's pine
vsPinus muricata
  • Specialized
9.0

A pine tree that grows on the California coast with two or three needles per bundle

is the scientific species name rather than focusing on its uses

Surface Forms

Pinus muricata singular
Pinus muricatas plural

Morphology

Pinus + muricata

This is a Linnaean binomial: 'Pinus' clearly signals that the referent is a pine tree, so a learner who knows that constituent can infer it is a type of pine. However, 'muricata' is a Latin species epithet (not a common English word) and does not yield the specific identity or geographic information to a B1 learner, so the full meaning is not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Pinus muricata comes from Latin: Pinus means 'pine' and muricata means 'rough' or 'spiny'. Because this tree has rough, pointy cones and sometimes sharp needles, the Latin name points to that, so it helps you remember this species.