purple loosestrife
1
8.9
- noun
- /ˈpɜrpl ˈluːstrɪf/
:
luzerna púrpura
- Invasion of purple loosestrife into a wetland system results in suppression of the resident plant community and the eventual alteration of the wetland's structure and function (Thompson et al. 1987).
- control of purple loosestrife
- biological control of purple loosestrife
Examples
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Another color in the roadside spectrum comes from purple loosestrife, a highly invasive ditch plant whose flowers add a vivid splash of magenta to the prevailing green backdrop.
Academic text (1991) -
Purple loosestrife populations will also be more easily controlled in the southern part of its current range because the shorter generation time of insects there allows them to increase more rapidly.
Academic text (1993) -
All species introduced or proposed for introduction will become established throughout the current range of purple loosestrife in North America.
Academic text (1993) -
Control of purple loosestrife will be achieved more rapidly in mixed plant communities where competition for space and nutrients is greater.
Academic text (1993) -
Our program for the biological control of purple loosestrife focuses on an international environmental weed problem that cannot be controlled by conventional means.
Academic text (1993) -
By the 1830s, purple loosestrife was well established along the New England seaboard.
Academic text (1993) -
Purple loosestrife is a tall, grass-like plant with a bright purple spiky flower that thrives in wetlands.
Academic text (1993) -
Our program for the biological control of purple loosestrife is intended to reverse the massive degradation of wetland habitats currently attributed to encroachment by this species.
Academic text (1993) -
Insects are likely to have difficulty finding the scattered populations of purple loosestrife in the arid Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, so redistribution of agents to new infestations might be necessary.
Academic text (1993) -
Purple loosestrife is a tall, grass-like plant with a bright purple spiky flower that thrives in wetlands.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A plant that grows in wet ground with tall stems of bright flowers
A tall marsh plant with purple flower spikes that often spreads and takes over wet areas
A marsh plant with tall spikes of purple flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward color + plant noun combination: 'purple' denotes the colour and 'loosestrife' denotes a type of plant, so the overall meaning (a loosestrife plant that is purple) is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional pattern is common for plant names across languages and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words, even if 'loosestrife' is relatively uncommon.
Etymology
Purple loosestrife may come from the plant's look: bright purple flowers growing in a long, loose bunch called a loosestrife, so you can picture its tall purple flower spike. Because it often grows fast in marshes and 'crowds out' other plants, the name now points to that common wetland plant.