cape periwinkle
- noun
:
vinca
- The cape periwinkle is a popular choice for gardens due to its vivid blooms.
Examples
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She planted several cape periwinkles along the walkway for a splash of color.
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Researchers study the cape periwinkle for its medicinal properties.
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Look at that cape periwinkle!
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The cape periwinkle is blooming beautifully in the garden.
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The cape periwinkle is a popular choice for gardens due to its vivid blooms.
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She planted several cape periwinkles along the walkway for a splash of color.
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The cape periwinkle is blooming beautifully in the garden.
Synonyms
A plant from Madagascar with glossy leaves and pink or red flowers
A tropical garden plant with large pink or red flowers
A small woody plant from Madagascar with large pink, white, or red flowers grown in gardens and used in medicine
A small woody plant with bright pink or red flowers grown in gardens
A tropical evergreen plant with thick stems and bright pink or red flowers often grown in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
cape + periwinkle
The compound is a straightforward place/type specification: 'cape' indicates a geographic or varietal qualifier and 'periwinkle' names the plant, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of periwinkle associated with a cape/region. This place + plant naming pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. English ivy, Japanese knotweed), making the meaning readily derivable for B1 learners.
Etymology
Cape periwinkle likely comes from two ideas: cape for the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, and periwinkle for the old name of this small flowering plant. So the name gives a clear picture, and that's why cape periwinkle means a 'garden plant with bright flowers'.
