flowering fern
- noun
:
helecho en flor
- During the hike in New Zealand, we spotted several flowering ferns near the stream.
Examples
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Many gardeners appreciate the unique appearance of the flowering fern in shaded areas.
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The flowering fern is a beautiful addition to any garden.
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The spores of the flowering fern are produced in visible clusters along its stems.
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I saw a flowering fern at the botanical garden.
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The garden was filled with beautiful flowering ferns that had clusters of white spores.
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As spring arrived, the flowering ferns began to emerge, displaying their unique spore arrangements.
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In the wild, flowering ferns can often be found near streams, thriving in the moist environment.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A group of ferns that includes the royal fern
A large fern with long, feathery leaves that grows from creeping roots
A North American fern with soft cinnamon-coloured young fronds you can eat and later green fronds
A North American fern with tall divided leaves and a few spore-making leaflets near the middle
A large fern with tall feathery leaves that grows in wet places
A large fern with feather-like leaves that grows in moist shady places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the adjective 'flowering' (bearing flowers or blooms) with 'fern' (a type of plant), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer it means a fern that has or appears to have flowers. Although botanically ferns do not produce true flowers and the term may refer to flower-like spore clusters, this is a minor technicality; the overall composition is directly interpretable from the constituents.
Etymology
Flowering fern comes from the way some ferns have visible spore clusters that look like small flowers along their stems. So, the name means a fern with flower-like spore clusters.