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Glite Dictionary
Scilla verna

Scilla verna

9.9
A small European plant with narrow leaves and blue star shaped flowers that blooms in early spring
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Scilla verna
  • The delicate blue flowers of Scilla verna are a welcome sign of spring.

Examples

  • In the coastal meadows, the Scilla verna blooms in early spring.

  • I saw a beautiful Scilla verna in the garden.

  • Botanists study the distribution of Scilla verna along the European coastline.

  • The Scilla verna blooms in early spring.

  • In the coastal meadows, the Scilla verna blooms in early spring.

  • The delicate blue flowers of Scilla verna are a welcome sign of spring.

  • Botanists study the distribution of Scilla verna along the European coastline.

Synonyms

spring squill
vsScilla verna
  • UK
9.9

A small plant by the sea with blue or purple flowers in spring

is the scientific name for the same plant rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Scilla verna singular
Scilla vernae plural

Morphology

Scilla + verna

The phrase is a botanical binomial combining the genus name 'Scilla' with the specific epithet 'verna' (Latin/derivationally related to 'vernal' = 'of spring'). If a learner knows both constituents and the taxonomic naming convention, they can infer it refers to a spring-flowering Scilla (spring squill). However, 'verna' is not a common English word and this is a specialized Latin name, so the compositional relation is only partly accessible to typical learners.

Etymology

Scilla verna gets its name from old words: Scilla is a name for squill plants and verna means 'spring'. Because these small blue, star-shaped flowers bloom in early spring, the name is like calling it 'the spring squill', which makes the plant and its season easy to remember.