Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
marcescent flower

marcescent flower

9.9
A flower that wilts but stays on the plant
  • noun
  • /mɑːrˈsɛsənt ˈflaʊər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : flor marcescente
  • Unlike most blossoms, the marcescent flower remains on the stem long after it has wilted.

Examples

  • The marcescent flower stayed attached to the branch even after the petals faded.

  • Look at that marcescent flower still clinging to the branch!

  • Gardeners noted the presence of marcescent flowers on several of the older shrubs that year.

  • In autumn, many marcescent flowers can be seen in the garden.

  • The marcescent flower stayed attached to the branch even after the petals faded.

  • Unlike most blossoms, the marcescent flower remains on the stem long after it has wilted.

  • Gardeners noted the presence of marcescent flowers on several of the older shrubs that year.

Antonyms

abscission
  • Specialized
9.9

The natural dropping of leaves, flowers or fruit from a plant

Surface Forms

marcescent flower singular
marcescent flowers plural

Morphology

marcescent + flower

The adjective 'marcescent' is a rare, Latin-derived word (not given in the provided dictionary entry) and is not transparently built from common English morphemes that a B1 learner would know. Knowing only the common word 'flower' would not allow a learner to infer the specialized meaning 'withers but remains attached', so the expression is effectively idiomatic/opaque for typical learners.

Etymology

Marcescent flower comes from the image of a marcescent flower that has dried and stayed stuck to its stem instead of falling off. So it means 'a flower that dries but remains attached to the plant'.