Lexic.us

Definition of Butterfly pea

1. Noun. Vine of tropical Asia having pinnate leaves and bright blue flowers with yellow centers.

2. Noun. Large-flowered wild twining vine of southeastern and central United States having pale blue flowers.

3. Noun. Large-flowered weakly twining or prostrate vine of New Jersey to tropical eastern North America, sometimes cultivated for its purple and white flowers.

Literary usage of Butterfly pea

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Gray's School and Field Book of Botany: Consisting of "First Lessons in by Asa Gray (1880)
"... BUTTERFLY-PEA. (Derivation obscure.) y С. Mariana, our only species, in dry ground from New Jersey S. : smooth, with erect or slightly twining stem ..."

2. Our Garden Flowers: A Popular Study of Their Native Lands, Their Life by Harriet Louise Keeler (1910)
"The butterfly pea naturally grows in sandy woods, southward, and was introduced to cultivation many years ago, but, neglected, dropped out of sight. ..."

3. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium by United States National Herbarium, United States National Museum (1891)
"(SPURRED BUTTERFLY-PEA. ... CLITORIA L. (BUTTERFLY-PEA.) Erect or twining perennials, with mostly pinnately 3 ..."

4. The Elements of Botany for Beginners and for Schools by Asa Gray (1887)
"... shorter than the leaves ; flowers showy, violet- purple, 1' long, in summer. Sandy woods, chiefly S. 42. CLITORIA, butterfly pea. (Derivation recondite. ..."

5. Flora of Pennsylvania by Thomas Conrad Porter, John Kunkel Small (1903)
"SPURRED BUTTERFLY-PEA. ( Man. p. 568 ; IF / 3223. ) Dry sandy soil, NJ to Fla., west to Ark. and Tex.—Pennsylvania : Locally escaped from gardens in the ..."

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