Chrysanthemum balsamita

9.9

A plant with a minty smell and yellow button flowers used in salads and tea

noun
/ˌkraɪsænˈθɛməm bælˈsæmɪtə/

Specialized

: balsamina

Gardeners often grow Chrysanthemum balsamita for its aromatic leaves and attractive yellow blooms.

Examples

Historically, Chrysanthemum balsamita was used in salads and as a remedy in folk medicine.
Some herbal teas are flavored with Chrysanthemum balsamita, known for its slightly minty aroma.
I added Chrysanthemum balsamita to my salad for extra flavor.
Have you tried Chrysanthemum balsamita tea?
Gardeners often grow Chrysanthemum balsamita for its aromatic leaves and attractive yellow blooms.
Historically, Chrysanthemum balsamita was used in salads and as a remedy in folk medicine.
Some herbal teas are flavored with Chrysanthemum balsamita, known for its slightly minty aroma.

Synonyms

balsam herb

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

9.3

A plant from Europe and Asia with small round yellow flowers used to flavor food, make tea, or scent potpourri

is mainly noted as a potherb and salad green rather than broad flavoring

alecost

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

Archaic

9.9

A leafy herb whose leaves people use to flavor food, with round yellow flowers and a strong smell

is used similarly but is also sometimes made into tea or potpourri

Tanacetum balsamita

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

Specialized

9.9

A leafy herb with a strong smell used in tea and to flavor food

is the same plant but is named differently in various sources

mint geranium

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

9.9

A small herb with a mint smell used to add flavor to food or tea

is the same plant though sometimes classified in another genus by botanists

bible leaf

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

9.9

A small herb with round yellow flowers and a strong smell that people use to flavor food or tea

is the accepted name form used for the same plant in many references

costmary

vsChrysanthemum balsamita

Specialized

9.9

A plant with a strong smell whose leaves add flavor to food or tea

is eaten as a potherb and salad green and sometimes used for tea or potpourri

Surface Forms

Chrysanthemum balsamita singular

Chrysanthemum balsamitas plural

Morphology

Chrysanthemum + balsamita

The phrase is a botanical binomial starting with the familiar genus name 'Chrysanthemum', so a learner who knows the parts would infer it denotes a type/species of chrysanthemum. However, the species epithet 'balsamita' is not a transparent English morpheme and does not convey the specific sensory or usage details in the definition, so the full meaning cannot be predicted from the constituents.

Etymology

Chrysanthemum balsamita comes from older words: chrysanthemum means 'gold' and 'flower', and balsamita points to its 'balsam' or sweet smell. So the name paints the picture of a golden, balsam-scented flower, which fits why people used it in salads, teas and potpourri.