basella
basella Lexical Profile
• noun
The edible leaves and young shoots of this plant, cultivated widely as a heat-tolerant leafy vegetable in Asian and African cuisines.
"She prepared a nutritious summer stir-fry using garlic, chili, and freshly harvested basella from her garden."
A small genus of tropical and subtropical twining vines in the family Basellaceae, native to Asia and Africa, characterized by thick, fleshy leaves.
"The horticulturist decided to introduce basella to the greenhouse because it thrives vigorously in humid, warm conditions."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although frequently called 'Malabar spinach', basella is biologically distinct from true spinach and is noted for its slightly mucilaginous texture when cooked.
• Rhymes for basella
Word Origin & Etymology
Modern Latin, named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It derives from 'basal', the native Malayalam word for the plant in the Malabar region of southwestern India.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.