ED u lis: Latin meaning edible
Edulis is used as a specific or varietal name for animals such a the edible blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, fungi such as Boletus edulis, and a diverse variety of plants including passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) the source of pine nuts, succulents, and bamboo. The edible part of the plant is variable and can be the fruit, seed, tuber, or leaves. Entrepreneurs have capitalized on the epithet and used it as the name of their restaurants.
Sometimes the name is misleading. For example, Hottentot bread(Focke edulis) a native of South Africa, has a swollen stem that is poisonous unless sufficiently cooked to deactivate the poison.
Khat (Catha edulis) grown in the Arabian peninsula and Horn of Africa, is consumed for the excitement and euphoria it produces. Chewing the leaves and tops is a social custom dating back thousands of years.
The edible features of some plants, like Amana edulis, have long been forgotten and are grown for their ornamental value.
