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Glite Dictionary
mountain fern

mountain fern

6.7
A fern that grows in European mountains and has leaves that smell like lemon or balsam
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : helecho de montaña
  • A cluster of mountain ferns grew beside the hiking trail, filling the air with a fresh citrus scent.

Examples

  • The mountain fern is prized by gardeners for its attractive and fragrant foliage.

  • She collected samples of mountain fern for her botanical study of alpine plants.

  • I found a beautiful mountain fern in the woods.

  • The mountain fern thrives in rocky soil.

  • A cluster of mountain ferns grew beside the hiking trail, filling the air with a fresh citrus scent.

  • She collected samples of mountain fern for her botanical study of alpine plants.

  • The mountain fern is prized by gardeners for its attractive and fragrant foliage.

Synonyms

Dryopteris oreopteris
vsmountain fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A European mountain fern with lemon or balsam scented leaves

is the general common name covering such fragrant species
Oreopteris limbosperma
vsmountain fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A mountain fern from Europe with leaves that smell like lemon

is the general common name covering such fragrant species

Surface Forms

mountain fern singular
mountain ferns plural

Morphology

mountain + fern

The meaning ('a fern that grows in mountainous areas') is directly and literally composed from 'mountain' (high landform) + 'fern' (a plant), with 'mountain' simply specifying habitat. This straightforward noun-modifier compound follows common compositional patterns cross-linguistically and contains no idiomatic shift, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

Mountain fern comes from the two words mountain and fern because this plant often grows high on mountain slopes and has leaves that smell a little like lemon or balsam. So, the name helps you picture and remember 'a fern that grows on mountains and has a fragrant smell'.