Hyacinth bean

hyacinth bean
    n 1: perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having
         trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like
         flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as
         an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian
         subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos [syn:
         {hyacinth bean}, {bonavist}, {Indian bean}, {Egyptian
         bean}, {Lablab purpureus}, {Dolichos lablab}]
    

Hyacinth \Hy"a*cinth\, n. [L. hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob.
   the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh.
   the sapphire; as, a proper name, Hyacinthus, a beautiful
   Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. ?, ?: cf. F.
   hyacinthe. Cf. {Jacinth}. The hyacinth was fabled to have
   sprung from the blood of Hyacinthus, who was accidentally
   slain by Apollo.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A bulbous plant of the genus {Hyacinthus}, bearing
          beautiful spikes of fragrant flowers. {Hyacinthus
          orientalis} is a common variety.
      (b) A plant of the genus {Camassia} ({Camassia Farseri}),
          called also {Eastern camass}; wild hyacinth.
      (c) The name also given to {Scilla Peruviana}, a
          Mediterranean plant, one variety of which produces
          white, and another blue, flowers; -- called also, from
          a mistake as to its origin, {Hyacinth of Peru}.
          [1913 Webster]

   2. (Min.) A red variety of zircon, sometimes used as a gem.
      See {Zircon}.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Hyacinth bean} (Bot.), a climbing leguminous plant
      ({Dolichos Lablab}), related to the true bean. It has dark
      purple flowers and fruit.
      [1913 Webster]