Yucca elata
- noun
- Specialized
:
yucca elata
- During spring, the Yucca elata displays striking clusters of creamy white flowers atop its tall stalk.
Examples
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The Yucca elata can reach up to fifteen feet in height in its natural desert habitat.
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Many Native American communities have traditionally used fibers from the Yucca elata for making baskets and rope.
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The Yucca elata can grow up to 30 feet tall.
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Many gardeners admire the beauty of Yucca elata.
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During spring, the Yucca elata displays striking clusters of creamy white flowers atop its tall stalk.
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Many Native American communities have traditionally used fibers from the Yucca elata for making baskets and rope.
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The Yucca elata can reach up to fifteen feet in height in its natural desert habitat.
Synonyms
4
7.1
A plant with long stiff pointed leaves and white flowers that grows in warm dry places
1
9.9
A tall plant like a yucca with long, sword-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers
A tall plant like a small tree with long pointed leaves and white flowers
A tall desert plant like a yucca with long stringy leaves and a large flower cluster
A tall desert plant with a long stem of creamy white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
yucca + elata
The first element 'yucca' clearly identifies the plant, and the species epithet 'elata' is a Latin adjective meaning roughly 'tall', so a learner who knew both constituents could infer 'a tall yucca'. However, 'elata' is not an English word and this is a Latin binomial (a proper scientific name), so most B1 learners without exposure to botanical Latin would not be able to derive the meaning fully.
Etymology
Yucca elata joins Yucca (the desert plant) with the Latin word elata, which means 'tall'. So the name shows this species' long trunk and tall flower stalks.