matilija poppy
- noun
- /ˌmætɪˈliːhə ˈpɑpi/
- US
:
pavón de Matilija
- She chose to plant a matilija poppy because of its showy white blossoms and drought tolerance.
Examples
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Each spring, the matilija poppy fills the yard with a sweet, delicate fragrance and striking beauty.
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The garden's most stunning feature is the row of matilija poppies along the fence line.
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The matilija poppy blooms beautifully in the summer.
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Many gardeners love the matilija poppy for its unique flowers.
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Each spring, the matilija poppy fills the yard with a sweet, delicate fragrance and striking beauty.
-
The garden's most stunning feature is the row of matilija poppies along the fence line.
-
She chose to plant a matilija poppy because of its showy white blossoms and drought tolerance.
Synonyms
A tall branching shrub with silvery blue leaves and large white fragrant flowers
A tall bush with many branches, native to California and Mexico, with silvery-blue leaves and large fragrant white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
matilija + poppy
The noun 'poppy' gives the core meaning (a kind of flowering plant) and 'Matilija' functions as a proper-name modifier indicating a specific variety; a B1 learner who knows both would reasonably infer it is a type/variety of poppy. Although 'Matilija' is not a common lexical item, the proper-name + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common for naming cultivars or species, making the compound meaning derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Matilija poppy may get its name from the Matilija area in California and from its very large white flowers that look like a poppy. That's why the name means 'a poppy from Matilija' and helps you picture the plant's big, paper-like blossoms.
