Esculentus
/es-kyoo-LEN-tus/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: esculenta, esculentum
A specific epithet meaning the plant or some part of it is edible and suitable for human consumption. It can apply to any edible structure — root, leaf, fruit, seed, or tuber. Appears as esculentus (masculine), esculenta (feminine), or esculentum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin esculentus, meaning "good to eat" or "edible," from esca (food, nourishment).
Example
“Abelmoschus esculentus (okra), Colocasia esculenta (taro), and Typha latifolia (cattail) — whose rhizomes are edible — all signal their food value through this epithet.”