Also wisteria; erron. wysteria, westeria. [mod.L., f. name of Caspar Wistar (or Wister) 1761–1818, American anatomist; named by T. Nuttall in 1818: see -IA1.] Any plant of the genus Wistaria (N. O. Leguminosæ), native to N. America, Japan, and China, the species of which are hardy, climbing, deciduous shrubs bearing racemes of blue-lilac papilionaceous flowers, the best known being W. sinensis (or chinensis), formerly Glycine chinensis.
1842. Loudon, Suburban Hort., 376. Vines, roses, Wistarias, or other luxuriant climbers.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVII. 486/1. Wistaria frutescens, Shrubby Wistaria…. W. Chinensis, Chinese Wistaria.
1876. Black, Madcap Violet, vii. 59. The pale purple blossoms of the wysteria hanging in front of the sunlit walls.
1878. Susan Phillips, On Seaboard, 173.
| The roof-tree stands as ever it stood, the jasmine stars the wall, | |
| The great Westeria’s purple blooms o’er dark gray gables fall. |
attrib. 1887. J. C. Harris, Free Joe, 182. A wisteria vine running helter-skelter across the roof of the little cabin.
1895. A. Dobson, At Convent Gate, i. in Story of Rosina, 97.
| Wistaria blossoms trail and fall | |
| Above the length of barrier wall. |
