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Glite Dictionary
cross-leaved heath

cross-leaved heath

9.9
A small European shrub with pink bell-shaped flowers and leaves in groups of four
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : brezo de hojas cruzadas
  • The cross-leaved heath added a splash of pink to the damp moorland landscape.

Examples

  • Gardeners value cross-leaved heath for its resilience in poor, acidic soils.

  • Botanists recorded the presence of cross-leaved heath among other native heather species.

  • Look at the beautiful cross-leaved heath!

  • The cross-leaved heath blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • The cross-leaved heath blooms beautifully in the spring, showcasing its delicate pink flowers.

  • Gardeners value cross-leaved heath for its resilience in poor, acidic soils, making it a popular choice for low-maintenance gardens.

  • In the nature reserve, the cross-leaved heath thrives alongside other native plants, creating a vibrant tapestry of colors.

Synonyms

Erica tetralix
vscross-leaved heath
  • Specialized
9.9

A low shrub with small pink flowers that grows in wet heaths and bogs

is the common everyday name used for the same plant

Surface Forms

cross-leaved heath singular
cross-leaved heaths plural

Morphology

cross-leaved + heath

The phrase is compositional: 'cross-leaved' can be parsed as 'cross' (cross-shaped or arranged) + 'leaved' (having leaves) and 'heath' is a small shrub, so the overall meaning is a heath with leaves arranged in a cross-like pattern. A B1 learner who knows 'cross', 'leaf/leaved', and 'heath' can reasonably infer this descriptive botanical meaning, even if the precise technical detail ('whorls of four') is specialized.

Etymology

Cross-leaved heath gets its name from how the plant looks: the leaves grow in groups of four that make a small cross, so cross-leaved describes the leaf shape and heath means a low 'shrub' found on open moors. That's why the name points to this small pink-flowered 'heather'.