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Glite Dictionary
Lathyrus tingitanus

Lathyrus tingitanus

9.9
A North African yearly plant like the sweet pea with showy flowers and no scent
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lathyrus tingitanus
  • While Lathyrus tingitanus has striking petals, it lacks the fragrance of its relatives.

Examples

  • The vibrant flowers of Lathyrus tingitanus add color to Mediterranean gardens.

  • Botanists often compare Lathyrus tingitanus with the common sweet pea because of their similar appearance.

  • The Lathyrus tingitanus blooms beautifully in spring.

  • You can find Lathyrus tingitanus in many gardens.

  • The vibrant flowers of Lathyrus tingitanus add color to Mediterranean gardens.

  • You can find Lathyrus tingitanus growing along the coastal regions of North Africa.

  • Botanists often study Lathyrus tingitanus for its unique floral characteristics.

Synonyms

Tangier peavine
vsLathyrus tingitanus
  • UK
9.9

A North African annual plant with bright unscented pea-like flowers

is the same plant but uses a different common name
Tangier pea
vsLathyrus tingitanus
  • UK
9.5

A North African plant with bright, scentless flowers

is the same plant but uses an alternative common label

Surface Forms

Lathyrus tingitanus singular
Lathyrus tingitanus plural

Morphology

Lathyrus + tingitanus

This is a Latin binomial name: knowing 'Lathyrus' (a pea genus) does not allow a B1 learner to infer the specific species meaning because 'tingitanus' is not a common English word and its semantic contribution (a geographic/species epithet) is not transparent to learners. Botanical Latin names are language-specific labels rather than compositional phrases, so the detailed meaning (a North African annual with showy flowers) cannot be derived from the constituents alone.

Etymology

Lathyrus tingitanus may come from old words: Lathyrus was an old word for a 'pea-like plant' and tingitanus points to Tingis, the old name for Tangier in North Africa. So the name simply says 'a pea-like plant from Tangier', which fits this showy, North African sweet-pea relative.