1. A large deciduous tree of the genus Catalpa which is native to easterly North America, eastern Asia and West Indies: "The catalpa has heart-shaped leaves circling around a stem, a group of whitish flowers, and long, slender pods."

"The Rawson family had a few catalpa trees in their backyard, which provided a lot of shade for the children who liked to play with the pods, also called 'Indian beans'."

2. Etymology: from Carolina Creek Kutuhlpa, "winged head" and it refers to the appearance of the flowers.