any plant of the widely cultivated genus Helichrysum, whose flowers retain their shape and colour when dried: family Asteraceae (composites)
Word origin
C16: from Latin, from Greek helikhrusos, from helix spiral + khrusos gold
helichrysum in American English
(ˌhelɪˈkraisəm, ˌhilɪ-)
noun
any of the numerous composite plants of the genus Helichrysum, having alternate leaves and solitary or clustered flower heads, including the strawflower
Word origin
[‹ NL, neut. n. based on Gk helíchrȳsos a plant, prob. of this genus, equiv. to heli- (perh. by haplology from heliko-helico-) + chrȳsós gold]
Examples of 'helichrysum' in a sentence
helichrysum
Classic window box plants include petunia, pelargonium, lobelia, helichrysum and nasturtiums.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Sweet almond oil, essential oils of organic lemon and rosemary, helichrysum and carrot.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They will feature a selection of varieties including geraniums, fuchsia, petunia, bacopa, helichrysum and nemesia.