salsify

salsify
/sal"seuh fee/, n., pl. salsifies.
a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable. Also called oyster plant, vegetable oyster.
[1690-1700; < F salsifis, var. of SASSEFY, SASSEF(r)ique < It sassef(r)ica) < ?]

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Biennial herbaceous plant (Tragopogon porrifolius) of the composite family, native to the Mediterranean.

The thick white taproot is cooked as a vegetable and tastes somewhat like oysters. The plant has purple flowers and narrow leaves whose bases usually clasp the stem. Goatsbeard, or meadow salsify (T. pratensis), is a weedy European species, naturalized in North America, that has a large yellow flower head. It is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental, and its leaves, flowers, and roots are sometimes eaten in salads.

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▪ plant
also called  oyster plant  or  vegetable oyster 
 biennial herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region. The thick white taproot is cooked as a vegetable and has a flavour similar to that of oysters.

      Salsify has purple flowers and narrow, often keeled leaves whose bases usually clasp the stem. Goatsbeard, or meadow salsify (T. pratensis), is a weedy European species, naturalized in North America, that has a large yellow flower head. It is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental, and its leaves, flowers, and roots are sometimes eaten in salads.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Salsify — Sal si*fy (?; 277), n. [F. salsifis.] (Bot.) See {Oyster plant} (a), under {Oyster}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • salsify — biennial plant, 1670s, from Fr. salsifis, earlier sercifi, sassify (16c.), probably from It. erba salsifica, from O.It. salsifica, of uncertain origin, perhaps from L. sal salt + fricare to rub …   Etymology dictionary

  • salsify — [sal′sə fē΄, sal′səfī΄] n. [Fr salsifis < It sassefrica < ?] a purple flowered plant (Tragopogon porrifolius) of the composite family, with long, white, edible, fleshy roots having an oysterlike flavor; oyster plant …   English World dictionary

  • Salsify — Taxobox name = Goatsbeards image width = 250px image caption = Purple Salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Asterales familia = Asteraceae tribus = Cichorieae genus = Tragopogon… …   Wikipedia

  • salsify — Goat s beard Goat s beard, goatsbeard goatsbeard . (Bot.), A weedy European annual with yellow flowers, of the genus {Tragopogon}; so named from the long silky beard of the seeds. One species is the {salsify} or {oyster plant}; it is naturalized… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • salsify — n. (Botany) European plant which has leaves that resemble grass and purple flowers and a long root; root of the salsify plant that is eaten as vegetable …   English contemporary dictionary

  • salsify — [ salsɪfi] noun 1》 an edible plant of the daisy family, with a long root like that of a parsnip. [Tragopogon porrifolius.] 2》 the root of the salsify used as a vegetable. Origin C17: from Fr. salsifis, from obs. Ital. salsefica, of unknown… …   English new terms dictionary

  • salsify — valgomasis pūtelis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Astrinių šeimos daržovinis, dekoratyvinis augalas (Tragopogon porrifolius), paplitęs Šiaurės Afrikoje, pietų Europoje ir pietvakarių Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Tragopogon porrifolius angl.… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • salsify — gelteklė statusas T sritis augalininkystė atitikmenys: lot. Scorzonera angl. salsify rus. козелец …   Žemės ūkio augalų selekcijos ir sėklininkystės terminų žodynas

  • salsify — n. (pl. ies) 1 a European plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, with long cylindrical fleshy roots. 2 this root used as a vegetable. Phrases and idioms: black salsify scorzonera. Etymology: F salsifis f. obs. It. salsefica, of unkn. orig …   Useful english dictionary

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