genus Cajanus
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs kəˈdʒeɪnəs/
- Specialized
- One of the most important legumes in the tropics belongs to the genus Cajanus.
Examples
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The genus Cajanus includes several species valued for their edible seeds.
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Many farmers cultivate plants from the genus Cajanus for their high nutritional value.
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Agricultural researchers often study the drought resistance of plants in the genus Cajanus.
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The genus Cajanus includes several important agricultural species.
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Agricultural researchers often study the drought resistance of plants in the genus Cajanus.
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Many farmers cultivate plants from the genus Cajanus for their high nutritional value.
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The genus Cajanus includes several species valued for their edible seeds.
Synonyms
A group of bushy plants, like pigeon pea, grown for their protein-rich seeds
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase combining 'genus' (a biological rank) with the proper name 'Cajanus', so the meaning 'the genus called Cajanus (a group of related plant species)' is directly derivable from the parts. The compositional pattern for scientific names is cross-linguistically familiar, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Genus Cajanus may come from an old local name for the 'pigeon pea' in South Asia. When scientists put that local name into Latin as Cajanus and used it as the name for a genus — a 'group of related plants' — the name came to mean the plant group that includes the pigeon pea.