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Glite Dictionary
Saussurea costus

Saussurea costus

9.9
A Himalayan herb with purple flowers and a strong-smelling root used in perfume and traditional medicine
  • noun
  • Specialized
: Saussurea costus
  • The fragrant root of Saussurea costus has long been valued for its essential oils.

Examples

  • Extracts from Saussurea costus are widely used in traditional medicine and perfumery.

  • Farmers in Kashmir cultivate Saussurea costus for export to the perfume industry.

  • The Saussurea costus plant is known for its aromatic roots.

  • In Kashmir, Saussurea costus is often used in traditional medicine.

  • Extracts from Saussurea costus are widely used in traditional medicine and perfumery.

  • Farmers in Kashmir cultivate Saussurea costus for export to the perfume industry.

  • The fragrant root of Saussurea costus has long been valued for its essential oils.

Surface Forms

Saussurea costus singular
Saussurea costuses plural

Morphology

Saussurea + costus

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial (genus + species). A B1 learner who knows 'Saussurea' as a genus of medicinal herbs can infer that the phrase refers to a plant/herb, but they cannot derive the specific attributes (aromatic root, Himalayan/Kashmir origin) from the species epithet 'costus' (which is not a common English word and functions as an arbitrary species label). Botanical species names are partially informative but often arbitrary, so the phrase yields only partial transparency.

Etymology

Saussurea costus is the scientific name for a scented herb from the eastern Himalayas. The name Saussurea honours a Swiss naturalist, and costus comes from an old name for the plant's strong, 'fragrant root' that people used in perfume and to preserve furs.