Recurvus
/reh-KUR-vus/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: recurva, recurvum
A morphological epithet describing a plant organ that curves backward — petals that curve back, recurved spines, or leaves that bend away from the stem. The recurved form is ornamentally distinctive and often has ecological significance. Appears as recurvus (masculine), recurva (feminine), or recurvum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin recurvus, meaning "bent back" or "curved backward," from re- (back) + curvus (curved, bent).
Example
“Pinus sylvestris 'Recurva' has dramatically recurved needles, and Lilium martagon with its swept-back tepals could be described as recurva — the backward-curling petal form that gives Turk's-cap lilies their distinctive profile.”