Lathyrus niger

9.9

A perennial plant from Europe and North Africa whose leaves turn black when dried

noun

Specialized

: Lathyrus niger

The dried leaves of Lathyrus niger turn a distinctive black color.

Examples

Lathyrus niger is often found growing in woodland clearings across Europe.
In the garden, we planted Lathyrus niger alongside other perennials.
Botanists frequently study Lathyrus niger for its unusual pigmentation.
The Lathyrus niger is often found in Mediterranean regions.
The dried leaves of Lathyrus niger turn a distinctive black color.
Lathyrus niger is often found growing in woodland clearings across Europe.
Botanists frequently study Lathyrus niger for its unusual pigmentation.

Synonyms

black pea

vsLathyrus niger

8.9

A plant that lives for more than one year with leaves that turn black when dry

is the scientific formal name used in botanical contexts

Surface Forms

Lathyrus niger singular

Lathyrus nigers plural

Morphology

Lathyrus + niger

This is a Latin binomial combining the genus name Lathyrus (a pea-family climbing herb) with the specific epithet niger, meaning 'black'; the compound thus denotes a Lathyrus species characterized by black/dark features (here foliage that turns black when dried). Although 'niger' is Latin rather than common English, if a learner knows both constituent meanings the overall sense is compositionally predictable because botanical naming routinely uses descriptive adjectives, making the expression transparent.

Etymology

The plant name Lathyrus niger comes from Latin. Lathyrus names the pea-like plant group and niger means 'black' because the leaves turn black when dried, so the name points to that dark color.