round-leaved rein orchid
- noun
- Specialized
- The round-leaved rein orchid is known for its striking greenish-white flowers and unique leaf shape.
Examples
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The round-leaved rein orchid thrives in damp meadows across North America.
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We found several round-leaved rein orchids growing along the edge of the forest.
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Botanists studied the leaves of the round-leaved rein orchid to help identify it.
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The round-leaved rein orchid blooms in early spring.
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I saw a round-leaved rein orchid in the garden yesterday.
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In the nature reserve, we discovered a rare round-leaved rein orchid flowering near the pond.
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During our hike, we spotted a round-leaved rein orchid gracefully growing beside the trail.
Synonyms
A wild orchid with large greenish white flowers and two round leaves at the base
Surface Forms
Morphology
round-leaved + rein + orchid
The element 'round-leaved' plus 'orchid' clearly indicates an orchid characterized by round leaves, so much of the meaning is compositionally recoverable from the constituents. However, the middle element 'rein' does not transparently contribute a botanical sense (and may be an idiosyncratic species name), so the full name is not entirely predictable to a B1 learner and requires some lexical or domain knowledge.
Etymology
Round-leaved rein orchid comes from a simple picture: the plant has two round leaves at its base, round-leaved, and a single tall flower stalk that people thought looked like a rein, a leather strap used to guide a horse. So the name tells you how the plant looks and helps you remember this small orchid.