Salix fragilis
- noun
- Specialized
:
sauce quebradizo
- The Salix fragilis can be easily recognized by its brittle branches that snap off in the wind.
Examples
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Ecologists often plant Salix fragilis along riverbanks to prevent soil erosion.
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Many birds use the branches of Salix fragilis to build their nests.
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The Salix fragilis grows near rivers and wetlands.
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Have you seen the Salix fragilis in the park?
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Ecologists often plant Salix fragilis along riverbanks to prevent soil erosion.
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Many birds use the branches of Salix fragilis to build their nests.
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The Salix fragilis can be easily recognized by its brittle branches that snap off in the wind.
Synonyms
A large tree with stiff branches that break easily, often growing by rivers
A large willow tree with thin branches that break easily
A large willow tree with stiff branches that break easily
Surface Forms
Morphology
Salix + fragilis
This is a Linnaean binomial combining Salix (the willow genus) with the Latin adjective fragilis (cognate with English 'fragile' = easily broken). If a learner knows both constituents, the meaning 'a willow whose branches break easily' is directly and compositionally derivable. Note that fragilis is a Latin form not listed in an English dictionary and so may be unknown to many B1 learners, but the composition itself is transparent.
Etymology
Salix fragilis comes from Latin: Salix means 'willow' and fragilis means 'easily broken'. So the name makes you picture a willow whose stiff branches snap in the wind, which is why it is often called the 'crack willow'.
