Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
family Caesalpiniaceae

family Caesalpiniaceae

9.9
A group of flowering plants often seen as spiny trees and shrubs like carob and Bauhinia
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˌkeɪsælˈpɪniˌeɪsi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Caesalpiniaceae
  • The carob tree, part of the family Caesalpiniaceae, is valued for its edible pods.

Examples

  • Many species in the family Caesalpiniaceae are cultivated for their beautiful flowers and ornamental value.

  • Botanists often debate whether to classify certain genera within the family Caesalpiniaceae or more broadly under Leguminosae.

  • The family Caesalpiniaceae includes many beautiful flowering plants.

  • Many species in the family Caesalpiniaceae are used for medicinal purposes.

  • Many species in the family Caesalpiniaceae are cultivated for their beautiful flowers and ornamental value.

  • The carob tree, part of the family Caesalpiniaceae, is valued for its edible pods.

  • Botanists often debate whether to classify certain genera within the family Caesalpiniaceae or more broadly under Leguminosae.

Synonyms

Caesalpiniaceae
vsfamily Caesalpiniaceae
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of trees and shrubs once treated as a separate plant family now part of the pea family

is the modern classification treating the group as a distinct family
subfamily Caesalpinioideae
vsfamily Caesalpiniaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of flowering plants in the bean family

is the family-level term emphasizing spiny trees shrubs and perennial herbs
Caesalpinioideae
vsfamily Caesalpiniaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of plants in the bean family including trees and shrubs with leaves in rows of small leaflets

focuses on being a full family rather than a lower-ranked subfamily

Surface Forms

family Caesalpiniaceae singular
families Caesalpiniaceae plural

Morphology

family + Caesalpiniaceae

This is a literal taxonomic label composed of the noun 'family' (a scientific grouping) plus a Latin family name; its meaning — the biological family called Caesalpiniaceae — is directly predictable from those parts. Although the proper name is specialized, the construction 'family + [taxon name]' is a regular, compositional pattern (the -aceae suffix signals a plant family across many languages), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand the referent.

Etymology

Family Caesalpiniaceae is named after the Italian plant scientist Andrea Cesalpino, who long ago grouped certain trees, shrubs and herbs under his name; imagine him writing a book and labelling a group 'Caesalpiniaceae'. So today the phrase means 'a family or group of related plants' named for that scientist.