The scientific name of butterfly pea is Clitoria ternatea. The name of the genus, Clitoria, is derived from the resemblance of its flowers to the external female genitalia (clitoris) in humans. The specific name means “of Ternate” in Latin, which is inaccurately attributed to the Indonesian island of Ternate, once thought to be the plant’s place of origin.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style