1.
[syn: catalpa, Indian bean]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bignonia \Big*no"ni*a\, prop. n. [Named from the Abb['e]
Bignon.]
1. (Bot.) A large genus of American, mostly tropical,
climbing shrubs, having compound leaves and showy somewhat
tubular flowers. Bignonia capreolata is the cross vine
of the Southern United States. The trumpet creeper (also
called the trumpet vine), with large red tubular flowers,
was formerly considered to be of this genus, but is now
classified as Campsis radicans.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
2. any member of the family Bignoniaceae, including the
bignonia[1], catalpa, trumpet creeper, and princess
tree. They typically have brightly colored tubular
(trumpet-shaped) flowers.
[PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Catalpa \Ca*tal"pa\, n. [From the language of the Indians of
Carolina, where Catesby discovered this tree in the year
1726.] (Bot.)
A genus of American and East Indian trees, of which the best
known species are the Catalpa bignonioides, a large,
ornamental North American tree, with spotted white flowers
and long cylindrical pods, and the Catalpa speciosa, of the
Mississipi valley; -- called also Indian bean.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
catalpa
n 1: tree of the genus Catalpa with large leaves and white
flowers followed by long slender pods [syn: catalpa,
Indian bean]