clover fern
- noun
- /ˈkloʊvər fɜrn/
- Specialized
:
helecho trébol
- The pond was fringed with clover ferns that thrived in the shallow water.
Examples
-
We planted clover fern around the edges of our water garden for its unique appearance.
-
The clover fern thrives in wetlands.
-
Botanists often study the resilience of clover fern in wetland habitats.
-
Look at that beautiful clover fern by the lake!
-
The pond was fringed with clover ferns that thrived in the shallow water.
-
We planted clover fern around the edges of our water garden for its unique appearance.
-
Look at that beautiful clover fern by the lake!
Synonyms
A small fern that grows in water and has leaves like a clover
A water fern with clover-like leaves that grows in rivers and wetlands
An aquatic fern with four clover-like leaves from Europe, Asia and eastern North America
A small water plant with leaves made of four clover-like parts that float
A small Australian fern with soft clover-like leaves that grows in damp places
A small plant with leaves made of four leaflets that grows in wet places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The referent 'a fern with clover-like leaflets' is directly inferable from combining 'clover' (a small plant with characteristic leaflets) and 'fern' (a non-flowering vascular plant). This noun+noun composition is a straightforward descriptive compound, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably deduce the meaning even if the botanical term itself is specialized.
Etymology
Clover fern gets its name from its look: it is a fern whose leaves are divided into four small parts that look like a clover. That clear image of little four-part leaves at the pond edge is why people call this 'water plant' the clover fern today.
