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Glite Dictionary
purslane speedwell

purslane speedwell

9.9
A small North American plant with tiny white flowers that grows as a common weed
  • noun
  • /ˈpɜrsleɪn ˈspɛdˌwɛl/
  • US
translation icon : verónica peregrina
  • We spent the afternoon pulling purslane speedwell from the flower beds.

Examples

  • Botanists note that purslane speedwell has adapted well to various climates outside its native range.

  • The purslane speedwell blooms in early spring.

  • Purslane speedwell often appears in gardens and lawns, quickly establishing itself as a common weed.

  • Many gardeners consider purslane speedwell a troublesome weed.

  • Purslane speedwell often appears in gardens and lawns, quickly establishing itself as a common weed.

  • Many gardeners consider purslane speedwell a troublesome weed due to its rapid growth.

  • During our hike, we noticed patches of purslane speedwell flourishing along the trail.

Synonyms

Veronica peregrina
vspurslane speedwell
  • Specialized
9.9

A small North American annual plant with white flowers that often grows as a weed

is the common everyday name used instead of the Latin form

Surface Forms

purslane speedwell singular
purslane speedwells plural

Morphology

purslane + speedwell

The compound is fully compositional: both constituents are plant nouns, so a learner who knows 'purslane' and 'speedwell' will reasonably infer it denotes a type of speedwell associated with or resembling purslane. Plant common names frequently use this noun+noun pattern cross-linguistically, making the referent predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Purslane speedwell gets its name from how it looks: it is a low plant with thick leaves like purslane and tiny white flowers like speedwell, so people joined the two names to describe it. That's why the name points to this common 'weed' with 'small white flowers'.