Cyamopsis psoraloides

9.9

A plant that grows in dry soil and gives animal feed and seeds that make guar gum

noun

Specialized

: Cyamopsis psoraloides

The seeds of Cyamopsis psoraloides are used to produce guar gum.

Examples

Farmers appreciate Cyamopsis psoraloides for its ability to thrive in dry, arid soils.
The seeds of Cyamopsis psoraloides are processed to make a popular thickening agent in the food industry.
Cyamopsis psoraloides is widely cultivated in India for its valuable guar gum.
Farmers often grow Cyamopsis psoraloides for its drought resistance.
Cyamopsis psoraloides is widely cultivated in India for its valuable guar gum.
The seeds of Cyamopsis psoraloides are processed to make a popular thickening agent in the food industry.
Farmers appreciate Cyamopsis psoraloides for its ability to thrive in dry, arid soils.

Surface Forms

Cyamopsis psoraloides singular

Cyamopsis psoraloides plural

Morphology

Cyamopsis + psoraloides

This is a scientific Latin binomial serving as a proper name rather than a compositional phrase whose meaning is built from ordinary English words; 'Cyamopsis' is a technical genus name and 'psoraloides' is not a readily interpretable English word. Even if a learner knew the constituent labels, they would not be able to derive the plant's properties (drought tolerance, use as forage/guar gum source) from the name, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Cyamopsis psoraloides is best remembered for its sticky seeds: when crushed they release a gum called 'guar gum' that becomes a powder used to thicken food and make pastes. Because the plant grows well in dry soil, farmers grew it for 'feed' for animals and for that useful seed gum, which is why it is used today.