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Glite Dictionary
milkweed family

milkweed family

7.2
A group of flowering plants that make milky sap
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪlkˌwiːd ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia del algodoncillo
  • Many butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on plants in the milkweed family.

Examples

  • The unique flowers of the milkweed family attract a variety of pollinators.

  • Members of the milkweed family are known for their ability to thrive in disturbed soils.

  • The milkweed family includes many beautiful plants.

  • Many butterflies are attracted to the milkweed family.

  • Many butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on plants in the milkweed family.

  • The unique flowers of the milkweed family attract a variety of pollinators.

  • Members of the milkweed family are known for their ability to thrive in disturbed soils.

Synonyms

Asclepiadaceae
vsmilkweed family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of mostly tropical and subtropical plants that are often herbs or shrubs with milky sap

is more widely distributed, including temperate species rather than only tropical ones

Surface Forms

milkweed family singular
milkweed families plural

Morphology

milkweed + family

The meaning 'a family of plants related to milkweed' is directly derivable from combining 'milkweed' (a plant with milky sap) with 'family' (a taxonomic or grouping term). This is a straightforward noun + noun modification pattern used cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Milkweed family comes from the white sap that looks like milk when you break the stem of a wild weed in this group. So the name means a family of 'plants' that share this 'milky sap'.