Cryptic crossword clue
China encountered Old Testament upside-down semi-tropical tree 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PALMETTO

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
A
L
M
E
T
T
O

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "semi-tropical tree" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case semi-tropical tree = palmetto.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PALMETTO mean?

PALMETTO noun
  1. Any member of either of two closely related genera of New World palms, of the family Arecaceae:
  2. A hat made of palmetto leaves.
  3. A native or resident of the US state of South Carolina.

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