from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- proper n. A genus of plants including the yellowwood trees and shrubs.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A genus of plants of the order Urticaceæ, the nettle family, the tribe Moreæ, and the subtribe Brous-sonetieæ, thus closely related to the mulberry.
- n. In conchology, same as Maclurites.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. yellowwood trees or shrubs
Sorry, no etymologies found.
This is the Osage Orange tree, scientific name Maclura pomifera.
So the origin of its name was a mystery until my last trip to Istanbul last month when the surprising identities of the trees lined up in a narrow median strip along one section of the road were revealed: osage oranges Maclura pomifera.
Maclura pomifera is definitely native to the Americas, although "bois d'arc" appears to be a fairly widespread local name.
Armathocereus humilis, Stenocereus griseus, Acanthocereus pentagonus y Pilosocereus colombianus; and woody species of bushes and trees such as Pithecellobium bogotense, Capparis odoratissima, Bulnesia carrapo, Maclura tinctoria, Fagara pterota, Prakinsonia aculeta, Prosopis juliflora, and Acacia farnesiana among others.
While back in Arkansas recently, I saw one of these “ghosts”, the osage orange Maclura pomifera shown in the picture below.
Osage Orange = (_Maclura aurantiaca_) (Bois d'Arc).
-- This is the common name of a species of dye wood in extensive use, which is obtained from _Maclura tinctoria_, or _Broussonitia tinctoria_, Kunth, a large and handsome evergreen tree, growing in
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c.
In front of the tents stood tall spears, with shields of _parfleche_ leaning against them; also long bows of _bois d'arc (Maclura aurantica_), and shorter ones of horn -- the horns of the mountain-ram.
(_Maclura aurantica_), the "bow-wood" of the Indians.
A Web of the botanical name -- Maclura pomifer -- and thornless and fruitless will yield the varieties 'Wichita,' 'White Shield' and 'Park.'