cotton-seed tree
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A shrub of salt marshes: A woody plant found in coastal salt marshes of eastern and south central North America and the West Indies.
- Distinctive fruit: Its fruit is notable for being surrounded by white, plumelike, hairy tufts that aid in seed dispersal.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The coastal ecosystem is stabilized by hardy plants like the cotton-seed tree.
- We identified the shrub by its distinctive fluffy fruits; it was a cotton-seed tree.
Advanced Usage
- In botanical descriptions: The term is used in ecological and botanical contexts to describe a specific halophyte (salt-tolerant plant) species.
- The study focused on the role of the cotton-seed tree in preventing erosion in the marsh.
Variants and Related Words
- Botanical name: (also commonly known as eastern baccharis, groundsel bush, or sea myrtle).
- Related terms: Salt marsh shrub, halophyte.
Synonyms
- Eastern baccharis
- Groundsel bush
- Sea myrtle
Notes
- The "cotton-seed tree" is not a true tree but typically a large shrub. The name derives from the cotton-like appearance of its seed tufts, not from any relation to the cotton plant ().
Noun
- a shrub of salt marshes of eastern and south central North America and West Indies; fruit is surrounded with white plumelike hairy tufts