ˌlespəˈdēzə noun
Etymology: New Latin, irregular (by misreading of the surname) from V. M. de Zespedes fl 1785 Spanish governor of East Florida
1. capitalized : a genus of herbaceous or shrubby plants (family Leguminosae) having exstipulate leaves, often both apetalous fertile and papilionaceous sterile flowers, and one-jointed one-seeded pods covered by the calyx, some members of which are widely used for forage, soil improvement, and especially hay in the southern U.S. — see bicolor lespedeza , korean lespedeza , sericea lespedeza
2. -s : any plant of the genus Lespedeza