Definition

Noun: 1. A plant species (Artemisia pontica): A European species of wormwood, historically a minor botanical source for the spirit absinthe. 2. A plant species (Corydalis sempervirens): A glaucous (pale grayish-green) herb native to northeastern North America, bearing loose clusters of pink flowers with yellow tips. It is also known by the synonym Fumaria sempervirens.

Usage Examples

• Artemisia pontica:
  • Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica) was used in some traditional recipes for absinthe.
  • The distiller compared the aroma of roman wormwood to that of its more famous relative, Artemisia absinthium.
• Corydalis sempervirens:
  • We identified the pink-flowered plant growing in the rocky clearing as roman wormwood.
  • Roman wormwood (Corydalis sempervirens) is a biennial plant often found in disturbed soils.

Advanced Usage

• The term "roman wormwood" is ambiguous and requires botanical context. In historical European contexts regarding herbal liqueurs, it typically refers to . In modern North American field guides, it almost always refers to .

Variants and Related Words

• Botanical Synonyms:
  • For the European plant: Artemisia pontica.
  • For the North American plant: Corydalis sempervirens, Fumaria sempervirens, rock harlequin, pale corydalis.
• Related Terms:
  • Wormwood: The common name for plants in the genus Artemisia, especially Artemisia absinthium.
  • Absinthe: A highly alcoholic, anise-flavored spirit historically made with Artemisia absinthium and other herbs, sometimes including Artemisia pontica.

Synonyms

• For : rock harlequin, pale corydalis.
• For : small absinthe, pontic wormwood.

Notes on Meaning

This entry describes two distinct plants sharing a common name. 1. The primary meaning in an historical or European botanical context is Artemisia pontica, a small, aromatic shrub related to common wormwood. 2. The primary meaning in a modern North American botanical context is Corydalis sempervirens, a wildflower in the poppy family, unrelated to true wormwoods (Artemisia). The shared name likely originates from a superficial resemblance in the foliage.

Noun

1. glaucous herb of northeastern United States and Canada having loose racemes of yellow-tipped pink flowers; sometimes placed in genus Fumaria
2. European wormwood; minor source of absinthe