plantain lily
- noun
- /ˈplænˌteɪn ˈlɪli/
:
lirio de plantago
- The broad leaves of the plantain lily create a lush, green ground cover beneath the trees.
Examples
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Gardeners prize the plantain lily for its attractive foliage and delicate summer blooms.
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She planted several plantain lilies along the shaded border of her garden.
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The plantain lily blooms beautifully in my garden.
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I planted several plantain lilies last spring.
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Gardeners prize the plantain lily for its attractive foliage and delicate summer blooms.
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The broad leaves of the plantain lily create a lush, green ground cover beneath the trees.
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She planted several plantain lilies along the shaded border of her garden.
Synonyms
3
8.2
A garden plant with large leaves and small flowers often grown in shade
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compounds 'plantain' and 'lily' transparently signal a kind of plant — a flowering plant with some resemblance to plantain or lily — so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer it refers to a plant species with lily-like flowers. However, the term is a folk/botanical name for Hosta (not a true lily) and the precise taxonomic identity and non-lily status are not predictable from the parts, so full meaning requires exposure.
Etymology
Plantain lily may come from the plant's looks: its wide, ribbed leaves look like the common plantain, and its flower clusters look a little like small lilies, so the name describes a plant with 'plantain-like' leaves and 'lily-like' flowers.