- Angelica
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/an jel"i keuh/, n.a female given name.
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▪ plantlarge genus of aromatic herbs of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). The roots and fruit of the Eurasian species, Angelica archangelica (see photograph—>), yield angelica oil used to flavour liqueurs and in perfumery, while the tender shoots are used in making certain kinds of aromatic sweetmeats; tea made from the roots and leaves is a traditional medicine for respiratory ailments. In the Faroe Islands and in Iceland, where the plant grows abundantly, it is considered a vegetable. The British species, A. sylvestris, is a tall perennial herb with large bipinnate leaves and large compound umbels of white or purple flowers. The common name alexanders is applied to A. atropurpurea in the United States.▪ winesweet, fortified dessert wine said to have originated near Los Angeles, for which it is named. Angelica is one of the oldest California wines; it was probably originally made from the mission grape, a European variety brought to California in the 18th century by Spanish padres. Early versions of angelica were occasionally extraordinary; some that survived from the 1870s remained superb more than a century later.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
