tuberous begonia
- noun
- /ˈtjuːbərəs bɪˈɡoʊnɪə/
:
begonia tuberosa
- Tuberous begonia plants are often grown for their showy flowers that provide vibrant color in gardens.
Examples
-
We'll just put pots on the tennis court, with roses and tuberous begonias, and stick a good security fence around the lot.
Fiction book (1993) -
Aunt Mamie D. took a pitcher of water out there and watered all Mama's ferns and the big tuberous begonia on the stand by the door.
Fiction book (1990) -
In the summer, the garden was filled with blooming tuberous begonias, showcasing their beautiful blossoms.
-
I enjoy caring for tuberous begonias because their striking flowers brighten up my indoor space.
Synonyms
2
6.5
A plant with bright flowers and attractive leaves often grown for decoration
A garden plant that grows from a thick underground stem and has large colorful flowers
A garden plant with thick underground roots grown for bright, showy flowers
How Showy
- Specialized
- Specialized
2
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'tuberous' (having swollen tuberous roots) modifies 'begonia' (a type of plant), so the meaning 'a begonia with tuberous roots' is directly derivable from the parts. This follows a common and transparent morphological pattern (adj + noun) found across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Tuberous begonia gets its name from its thick, potato-like tuberous 'tubers' that store food and from the plant group begonia. That's why the name tells gardeners it is a begonia with fleshy roots that help it produce large, showy flowers.