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Glite Dictionary
iridaceous

iridaceous

9.9
Relating to plants like irises or crocuses
  • adjective
  • /ˌɪrɪˈdeɪʃəs/
  • Specialized
: iridáceo
  • Many gardens feature iridaceous flowers such as irises and crocuses for their vibrant colors.

Examples

  • The botanist specialized in iridaceous plants native to temperate regions.

  • Soil conditions must be well-drained to support most iridaceous species.

  • The iridaceous flowers bloom in spring.

  • Many iridaceous plants thrive in well-drained soil.

  • Many gardens feature iridaceous flowers such as irises and crocuses for their vibrant colors.

  • The botanist specialized in iridaceous plants native to temperate regions.

  • Many iridaceous plants thrive in well-drained soil.

Compounds

iridaceous plant
  • Specialized
9.2

A plant that grows from a bulb, like an iris or crocus

Surface Forms

iridaceous positive

Morphology

iridaceous = iris (opaque) = irid + aceous

This is a specialized botanical adjective built with the learned suffix -aceous, but the stem irid- is not a common standalone word for most learners.

Etymology

Iridaceous comes from the flower name Iris, which in Greek means 'rainbow' and is the same as the English word iris for the colourful flower. So iridaceous means 'of the iris family', plants like irises and crocuses that often have bright, rainbow-like petals.