amorpha
amorpha Lexical Profile
• noun
A genus of deciduous shrubs native to North America in the pea family (Fabaceae), characterized by pinnate leaves and dense spikes of small purple or blue flowers that distinctively feature only a single petal.
"The botanist identified the shrub along the riverbank as a species of amorpha, noting its distinctive single-petaled purple flowers."
An insect pupa, particularly that of a butterfly or moth, in which the developing appendages are mostly or entirely concealed within a hardened outer case.
"During its dormant overwintering stage, the butterfly exists as an immobile amorpha hidden within the foliage."
• Rhymes for amorpha
Word Origin & Etymology
From Modern Latin 'Amorpha', derived from the Greek 'amorphos' (meaning 'formless' or 'deformed'). The name was given by Linnaeus in reference to the plant's unusually incomplete flowers, which possess only one petal instead of the standard five found in most legume blossoms.