bulbous iris
- noun
- /ˈbʌl.bəs ˈaɪ.rɪs/
- Specialized
:
iris bulboso
- Many gardeners prefer the bulbous iris because it blooms early in the spring.
Examples
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She planted several bulbous iris bulbs along the garden path for a burst of color.
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The bulbous iris differs from the bearded iris due to its bulb-like base.
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The bulbous iris blooms beautifully in spring.
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I planted several bulbous irises in my garden.
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In the garden, the bulbous iris blooms with vibrant purple flowers each spring.
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She planted a variety of bulbous irises to enhance the beauty of her landscape.
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The bulbous iris is admired for its unique shape and fragrant petals.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'bulbous' (having a rounded, bulb-like shape) modifies 'iris' (a type of flower), so a 'bulbous iris' is an iris with a bulb-like rootstock. This adjective + noun pattern is a standard, cross-linguistically common composition that a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can readily understand.
Etymology
Bulbous iris comes from the plant's round, bulb-like root; the word bulbous points to this shape. Gardeners plant the round bulb in the soil and the iris grows from it, so the name simply tells you it is an iris that grows from a bulb and is often grown as a 'garden plant'.
