Tansy Ragwort
/ˈtænzi ˈræɡwɜːrt/noun
A poisonous yellow-flowered plant, usually referring to Senecio jacobaea, with finely divided leaves resembling tansy.
Did you know?Tansy ultimately traces to Greek athanasia, “immortality,” while the plant itself contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can seriously damage the liver.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀθανασία (athanasia)
“Immortality; literally, “not death””
Late Antiquity
Latin
tanacetum
“Tansy, a plant name probably shaped from Greek athanasia”
12th–14th Century
Old French
tanesie / tanacie
“Tansy”
Old English
Old English
wyrt
“Plant, herb, or root; the source of the second element in wort”
Middle English
English
tansie; ragwort
“Tansy; a “ragged” plant, named for its irregularly divided leaves”
Modern English
English
tansy ragwort
“The common name for the yellow-flowered plant Senecio jacobaea”
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