Alchornea

/ælˈkɔrnəə/ noun

Definition

A genus of tropical plants in the spurge family, known for producing oil-rich seeds.

Etymology

Modern scientific Latin name, possibly from an Indigenous Amazonian language or Arabic root. The word was coined by botanists to name this plant genus discovered in South America.

Kelly Says

Alchornea plants produce seeds so full of oil that they're used to make candles, soap, and traditional medicines—it's the kind of discovery medieval alchemists would have been obsessed with because it's actually useful transformation.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.