myrtle spurge
- noun
:
euforbia de mirto
- The garden was overrun with myrtle spurge, which can be toxic if handled improperly.
Examples
-
Some landscapers use myrtle spurge as ground cover, unaware of its invasive nature.
-
Children should be warned not to touch myrtle spurge because of its poisonous sap.
-
The myrtle spurge is known for its toxic properties.
-
Have you ever seen a myrtle spurge in bloom?
-
Children should be warned not to touch myrtle spurge because of its poisonous sap.
-
The garden was overrun with myrtle spurge, which can be toxic if handled improperly.
-
Some landscapers use myrtle spurge as ground cover, unaware of its invasive nature.
Surface Forms
Morphology
myrtle + spurge
This is a straightforward noun–modifier compound: 'myrtle' names a plant and 'spurge' names a group of (toxic) plants, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a type/kind of spurge associated with or resembling myrtle. The meaning (a myrtle-like spurge, a poisonous plant) is compositionally derivable and follows a common cross-linguistic noun + modifier pattern.
Etymology
Myrtle spurge is a name that combines two ideas: myrtle because its thick blue-green leaves look like the myrtle shrub, and spurge from an old word meaning 'to make people empty their stomach' because the plant's sap was used as a strong medicine and can be poisonous. So the name helps you remember a myrtle-like plant with a powerful, often harmful sap.
