Växterna

Växterna is the definite plural form of the Swedish noun växt, which means plant. In Swedish, växt denotes a single plant or the concept of plants in general; växter is the indefinite plural, and växterna is used when referring to a specific, identifiable group of plants. The term is common in botanical, ecological and horticultural contexts as well as in everyday language.

In practice, växterna is used to describe the plant life of a place, a habitat, or a community of plants discussed in a text. It can refer to the flora of a region, seasonal plant communities, or the particular set of plants under study. For example, a field guide or a report might discuss “växterna i skogen” or “växterna i våtmarken” to denote the plants that are present in those environments.

The word is not a proper noun by itself unless it appears as a title or label. When speaking in a general sense, Swedish speakers distinguish between växter (indefinite plural) and växterna (definite plural) depending on whether the plants are being referred to definitively. Växterna thus functions as a grammatical tool to specify a known group of plants within a sentence.

See also: växt, växtlighet, flora.