Tan acetum

(tăn-a-se'tüm.) (Bot.) A gen. of the O. Asteraceæ. T. vulgare, the Common Tansy, is an erect herbaceous plant 1 to 2 ft.high, with repeatedly divided deeply-cut leaves, and terminal corymbs of button-like flower-heads, of which all the florets are yellow. All parts of the plant have a strong aromatic scent, and an exceedingly bitter taste. Tansy was formerly much employed in medicine, and still retains its place in some cookery-books as an ingredient in puddings, cakes, and omelets-viands which now rarely appear at table. Tansy-wine also still enjoys some reputation among rustic practitioners as a stomach ic. A variety with curled leaves is cultivated as an ornamental plant for garnishing dishes. [s. 877]