rice-grain fritillary
- noun
- US
:
fritilaria de grano de arroz
- The rice-grain fritillary is known for its striking green-and-purple flowers that attract pollinators.
Examples
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The rice-grain fritillary blooms early in the spring along the Pacific Northwest.
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We spotted several rice-grain fritillaries growing near the forest edge.
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Botanists are fascinated by the unique coloration of the rice-grain fritillary.
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The rice-grain fritillary blooms in early spring.
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Have you ever seen a rice-grain fritillary in the wild?
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During our hike, we were delighted to find a patch of rice-grain fritillaries blooming beside the trail.
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In the botanical garden, the rice-grain fritillary was among the most admired plants for its beautiful blossoms.
Synonyms
A wild plant from northwestern North America with green and purple bell-shaped flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
rice-grain + fritillary
The compound is compositionally built: 'fritillary' names a bulbous, bell-flowered plant and 'rice-grain' transparently describes a small, grain-like quality (shape, size or markings). A B1 learner who knows both parts can infer this refers to a kind of fritillary characterized by rice-grain–like features, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Rice-grain fritillary comes from its tiny flowers that look like a rice-grain and from fritillary, a word used for plants or butterflies with a 'spotted' or 'checkered' pattern. So the name helps you picture this small, green-and-purple 'bell-shaped' flower.
