Plants & CreaturesGreek → English
Helichrysum
/ˌhɛlɪˈkraɪsəm/noun
A genus of daisy-family plants with papery yellow flowerheads that keep their colour when dried.
The Greek roots
ἥλιος
hḗlios
sun
χρυσός
chrysós
gold
Literally: “sun gold”
The story of the word
Theophrastus and Dioscorides both describe a golden-flowered plant called ἑλίχρυσος. The first half is disputed: ἥλιος, sun, is the usual reading, but the epsilon of ἑλι- points instead to ἕλιξ, twisted, and neither side has closed the argument. Ancient writers mention the dried heads in garlands for statues, which is what a flower that never fades is for; the modern genus includes the everlastings and the curry plant of Mediterranean gardens.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Modern Latin → English
Same family
chrysanthemumheliotropechrysalishelium
In a sentence
She cut the helichrysum in August and it was still gold at Christmas.
Helichrysum oil sells for absurd money on the strength of thin evidence.