Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
zebra orchid

zebra orchid

9.9
A small Australian orchid with pale yellow flowers marked with purple and a deep red lip
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : orquídea cebra
  • The zebra orchid is native to the woodlands of southwestern Australia.

Examples

  • Botanists admire the delicate patterns on the zebra orchid’s pale yellow petals.

  • The zebra orchid features pale yellow flowers accented with purple, making it a stunning addition to any garden.

  • Gardeners often cultivate zebra orchids for their unique and colorful flowers.

  • The zebra orchid blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Many gardeners love the zebra orchid for its unique appearance.

  • In the wild, the zebra orchid can be found in the open woodlands of southwestern Australia, thriving among the native flora.

  • Known for its striking color patterns, the zebra orchid attracts many admirers at botanical gardens across the country.

Synonyms

Caladenia cairnsiana
vszebra orchid
  • Australian
9.9

A kind of orchid from southwestern Australia with pale yellow flowers marked with purple and a deep red lip

is the general name for that same plant rather than the species label

Surface Forms

zebra orchid singular
zebra orchids plural

Morphology

zebra + orchid

The meaning is directly compositional: 'zebra' modifies 'orchid' to indicate an orchid with zebra-like stripes or markings, so a learner who knows both words can infer this. This follows a common noun+noun naming pattern cross-linguistically, making the MWE immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Zebra orchid gets its name from the dark, zebra-like stripes on its pale flowers. The word zebra points to the stripe pattern and orchid shows it is a flower, so the name means 'a striped orchid' and helps you remember its look.