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Glite Dictionary
genus Alnus

genus Alnus

8.4
A group of trees and shrubs called alders with toothed leaves and thin flower clusters
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈæl.nəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Alnus
  • The genus Alnus includes several species commonly found along riverbanks and wetlands.

Examples

  • In the genus Alnus, the leaves are typically toothed.

  • Members of the genus Alnus are important for their nitrogen-fixing abilities in the soil.

  • Botanists studied the reproductive structures unique to the genus Alnus.

  • The genus Alnus includes several species of alder trees.

  • Botanists studied the reproductive structures unique to the genus Alnus.

  • Members of the genus Alnus are important for their nitrogen-fixing abilities in the soil.

  • The genus Alnus includes several species commonly found along riverbanks and wetlands.

Synonyms

Alnus
vsgenus Alnus
  • Specialized
8.2

A group of trees and shrubs called alders that lose their leaves and are related to birch trees

emphasizes temperate habitat and toothed leaves and catkins

Surface Forms

genus Alnus singular
genera Alnus plural

Morphology

genus + Alnus

The phrase is fully compositional: 'genus' (a biological rank) combined with the taxon name 'Alnus' yields the meaning 'the genus called Alnus (alders)'. This follows standard scientific naming conventions that are cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Genus Alnus comes from the old Latin word alnus, the name for the alder tree; these trees often grow by rivers and wet places. So people used alnus to name the whole 'group of alder trees', and today genus Alnus is the scientific name for that group of species.