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Glite Dictionary
borage family

borage family

7.5
A family of flowering plants with coiled flower clusters and small nutlike fruits
  • noun
  • /ˈbɔrɪdʒ ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de la borraja
  • Many plants in the borage family are cultivated for their attractive, coiled flower clusters.

Examples

  • Viper's bugloss and forget-me-not both belong to the borage family.

  • The borage family includes herbs, shrubs, and some trees found throughout the world.

  • The borage family includes many herbs.

  • Did you know that the borage family has over 200 species?

  • Many plants in the borage family are known for their vibrant flowers and are commonly found in gardens.

  • The borage family consists of various species, including herbaceous plants that thrive in temperate climates.

  • Viper's bugloss and forget-me-not are both examples of plants that belong to the borage family.

Synonyms

Boraginaceae
vsborage family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering plants with spiral flowers like borage and forget-me-not

is the common English name used for that family

Surface Forms

borage family singular
borage families plural

Morphology

borage + family

The meaning is directly compositional: 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping and 'borage' specifies the exemplar genus, so 'borage family' transparently means the plant family related to borage. This noun-noun combination follows a common cross-linguistic pattern for biological classifications and would be predictable to learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

Borage family comes from the common plant borage, which has rough, hairy leaves and small, coiled flower clusters that curl like a scorpion's tail. So, borage family names a 'family' of plants that share those visible features, such as coiled flowers and small nutlike fruits.