wisteria

/wi stear"ee euh/, n.

any climbing shrub belonging to the genus Wisteria, of the legume family, having showy, pendent clusters of blue-violet, white, purple, or rose flowers.

Also, wistaria /wi stear"ee euh, -stair"-/.

[ < NL Wistaria (1818), named after Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), U.S. anatomist; see -IA]

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or wistaria

Any of the twining, usually woody vines that make up the genus Wisteria, of the pea family (see legume), native mostly to Asia and North America.

The leaves are pinnately compound (feathery). They are widely cultivated for their attractive spreading growth and beautiful, profuse flowers (blue, purple, rose, or white), which grow in large, drooping clusters. American wisteria (W. frutescens) and Kentucky wisteria (W. macrostachya) are native to the U.S.

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▪ plant genus

also spelled  Wistaria,  

      genus of twining, usually woody vines, of the pea family (Fabaceae), mostly native to Asia and North America but widely cultivated in other regions for their attractive growth habit and beautiful profuse flowers. The alternate leaves are pinnately compound (feather formed). The flowers, which grow in large, drooping clusters, are blue, purple, rose, or white.

      Cultivated species include W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria), native to Japan and the hardiest member of the genus; W. frutescens (American wisteria), native to the southeastern United States; W. macrostachya (Kentucky wisteria), native to the central and southern United States; and W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria), native to China.

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