butterfly pea; Asian pigeonwings
A tropical leguminous plant (Clitoria ternatea) with distinctive blue flowers, often used for tea and natural coloring.
Blue tea is made from the flowers of the butterfly pea.
Standard katakana spelling for this plant name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the plant name is usually written in katakana.
The Japanese name チョウマメ literally means 'butterfly bean', referring to the flower's resemblance to a butterfly. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.