asarum

[ as-er-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. the dried rhizome and roots of wild ginger that yield an acrid resin and a volatile, aromatic oil, used chiefly as a flavoring.

asarum

/ ˈæsərəm /

noun

1. the dried strong-scented root of the wild ginger plant: a flavouring agent and source of an aromatic oil used in perfumery, formerly used in medicine

Word History and Origins

Origin of asarum¹

< Latin < Greek ásaron hazelwort, wild spikenard

Word History and Origins

Origin of asarum¹

C19: via New Latin from Latin: hazelwort, from Greek asaron

Example Sentences

There is even the occasional anagram, where an existing genus name is remixed to form a new, botanically related one: Saruma is a cousin of the more familiar Asarum, like the native ground-cover ginger, Asarum canadense.

From New York Times

A little farther along are whole drifts of the hardy but deciduous native ginger, Asarum canadense, which spreads assertively in rich humus but is easily controlled.

From Washington Post

This is not to be confused with the hardy ginger named Asarum, of which Avent offers five Asian species.

From Washington Post

In the herbal preparations that they tested, Bunce and his colleagues found members of 68 plant families, among them plants of the genera Ephedra and Asarum.

From Washington Post

Although detecting DNA from a certain species does not mean that a toxin produced by that plant is present, chemical analysis of one of the four samples containing Asarum did turn up aristolochic acid.

From Washington Post