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Indicus

/IN-dih-kus/
🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate

Also known as: indica, indicum

A geographic epithet that historically covered a broad area including India, Southeast Asia, and what early European botanists called the "East Indies." Its precise meaning depends on when a species was named; older usage may refer to almost any tropical Asian provenance. Appears as indicus (masculine), indica (feminine), or indicum (neuter).

Etymology

From Latin Indicus, meaning "of India," from India (the subcontinent), ultimately from Greek Indos (the Indus River).

Example

Lagerstroemia indica (crape myrtle), Tamarindus indica (tamarind), and Ficus indica all reflect early European encounters with the tropical flora of South and Southeast Asia.