Basella

noun
Ba·​sel·​la | \ bəˈselə, -ˈze-\

Definition of Basella

: a genus of herbaceous annual or biennial vines (the type of the family Basellaceae) having sessile flowers on thickened pedicels and being natives of tropical Asia and Africa where they are used as potherbs — see malabar nightshade

History and Etymology for Basella

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Malayalam paśaḷa, pacaḷa “Malabar nightshade”

Note: The Linnaean name (Species Plantarum, 1753, vol. 1, p. 272) is taken from the Hortus Malabaricus sponsored by Hendrik van Rheede, part 7 (Horti Malabarici pars septima, Amsterdam, 1688), plate 24 and p. 45.

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