yellow salsify

9.9

A plant from Europe that lives many years with long narrow leaves and pale yellow flowers

noun
/ˈjɛloʊ ˈsælsəfi/

: salsifí amarillo

Gardeners sometimes mistake yellow salsify for dandelion because of its yellow flower.

Examples

The field was dotted with the bright blooms of yellow salsify among the grasses.
I found a patch of yellow salsify in the garden.
Yellow salsify thrives in disturbed soils and along roadsides.
The yellow salsify blooms beautifully in the spring.
Yellow salsify thrives in disturbed soils and along roadsides.
In the spring, the bright yellow flowers of yellow salsify attract many bees.
Gardeners often appreciate the unique look of yellow salsify in their flower beds.

Synonyms

Tragopogon dubius

vsyellow salsify

Specialized

9.9

A European plant with hollow stems, long narrow leaves, and single pale yellow flowers

is the common name used instead of the scientific name

Surface Forms

yellow salsify singular

yellow salsifies plural

Morphology

yellow + salsify

This is a straightforward adjectival modification: 'yellow' (a color) simply specifies the color of the noun 'salsify' (a plant). The meaning — the salsify plant that is yellow or has yellow flowers — is fully compositional and follows a common cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Yellow salsify may come from an old name for the 'oyster' plant, because people once ate the long root of salsify and said it tasted a little like oysters, and yellow was added to show the pale yellow flower. That's why the name helps you picture a yellow wild plant with a long, edible root.