Lusus
/LOO-sus/🏷️ Taxonomy●●● Advanced
Also known as: lusa, lusum
An unusual epithet acknowledging that the plant is a sport, variant, or aberrant form — it has arisen spontaneously from the normal species and displays some irregular feature not typical of the parent. The term was used by early botanists for puzzling natural oddities. Appears as lusus (both genders).
Etymology
From Latin lusus naturae, meaning "a sport of nature" or "a freak," from ludere (to play), from lusus (a game, sport, play).
Example
“Various Narcissus and Primula forms described as lusus naturae by early botanists were plants with doubled flowers, peloric forms, or other irregular features — natural sports that puzzled and delighted collectors in equal measure.”