Discolor
/DIS-kol-or/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
A pattern epithet specifically describing a plant whose leaf surfaces are distinctly different colors — typically green or glossy above and white, gray, or rusty beneath. This upper/lower contrast is a key identification feature and often has functional significance in reflecting light. Appears as discolor (both genders).
Etymology
From Latin discolor, meaning "of different colors," from dis- (apart, different) + color (color).
Example
“Populus alba (white poplar), sometimes listed as discolor in references, and Buddleja davidii selections with white-felted leaf undersides both demonstrate how dramatically two-sided this color contrast can be.”