Salvia lyrata

9.7

A small sage plant with curved leaves like a harp and pale blue flowers that grows in eastern US woodlands

noun

Specialized

: salvia de lyra

Gardeners often plant Salvia lyrata for its attractive blue flowers and unusual foliage.

Examples

The Salvia lyrata thrives in moist woodlands across the southeastern United States.
The Salvia lyrata blooms beautifully in spring.
Researchers are studying the potential medicinal uses of Salvia lyrata in traditional remedies.
Did you see the Salvia lyrata in the garden?
Gardeners often plant Salvia lyrata for its attractive blue flowers and unusual foliage.
The Salvia lyrata thrives in moist woodlands across the southeastern United States.
The Salvia lyrata blooms beautifully in spring.

Surface Forms

Salvia lyrata singular

Salvia lyratas plural

Morphology

salvia + lyrata

The first element 'Salvia' is the common genus name (sage) and 'lyrata' corresponds to the Latin adjective meaning 'lyrate' (lyre-shaped), so a learner who knows both constituents could infer 'a sage with lyre-shaped leaves.' However, because this is a taxonomic Latin binomial (a species name) and requires domain knowledge about scientific naming and the Latin adjectival form, the exact interpretation as a specific plant species is not fully predictable to a general B1 learner.

Etymology

Salvia lyrata comes from old Latin words: Salvia means 'sage' and lyrata means 'lyre-shaped'. So the name gives a simple picture — a sage plant with leaves shaped like a small lyre, which helps you remember what the plant looks like.