lesquerella

[ les-kuh-rel-uh, ley-kuh- ]

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Lesquerella, of the mustard family, having rosettes of simple, hairy leaves, small yellow flowers, and inflated pods, and yielding a seed oil similar to castor oil.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lesquerella¹

First recorded in 1900–05; from New Latin, named after Leo Lesquereux (1806–89), Swiss-born U.S. paleobotanist; -ella