Farfugium

/fɑrˈfjuːdʒiəm/ noun

Definition

A genus of tropical plants native to Asia, sometimes grown as ornamentals, also known as leopard plant for their spotted leaves.

Etymology

From Neo-Latin scientific nomenclature, possibly derived from Japanese 'fukinotou' or similar Asian language roots adapted into scientific Latin naming conventions.

Kelly Says

Farfugium is a classic example of how scientific Latin names sometimes sound like made-up words—the plant went by regional names for centuries before botanists gave it a formal Latin name that sounds almost like a spell.

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