lesser butterfly orchid

9.9

A small southern European orchid with pale green and white flowers that smell sweet

noun

: orquídea mariposa menor

The lesser butterfly orchid can be found blooming in meadows during late spring and early summer.

Examples

Unlike its close relative, the lesser butterfly orchid has smaller, more subtly scented flowers.
Many nature reserves in southern Europe strive to protect the delicate lesser butterfly orchid.
Look at that beautiful lesser butterfly orchid!
The lesser butterfly orchid blooms in early summer.
The lesser butterfly orchid can be found blooming in meadows during late spring and early summer.
Many nature reserves in southern Europe strive to protect the delicate lesser butterfly orchid.
Unlike its close relative, the lesser butterfly orchid has smaller, more subtly scented flowers.

Synonyms

Platanthera bifolia

vslesser butterfly orchid

Specialized

9.9

A small European orchid with fragrant pale greenish-white flowers

is the scientific description that may be placed in a different genus

Habenaria bifolia

vslesser butterfly orchid

Specialized

9.9

A small orchid from southern Europe with pale green and white flowers that smell sweet

is the description that treats the species in the other genus

Surface Forms

lesser butterfly orchid singular

lesser butterfly orchids plural

Morphology

lesser + butterfly + orchid

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'lesser' simply qualifies 'butterfly orchid', so a learner can infer it denotes a smaller/smaller-sized orchid that resembles or is called a 'butterfly' orchid. This follows regular modifier+noun patterns found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily understand the meaning.

Etymology

Lesser butterfly orchid gets its name from the flower's shape: the pale petals and lip look like a tiny butterfly, and the word lesser shows it is smaller than a similar orchid. So the name helps you remember it is a small orchid with delicate, butterfly-like flowers.