quassia
/ˈkwɒʃə
/ /ˈkwɒʃɪə / /ˈkwasɪə /noun
1A South American shrub or small tree related to ailanthus.
- Genera Quassia and Picrasma, family Simaroubaceae: several species, in particular Q. amara.
- The quassia tree grows from 50 to 100 feet high; it has smooth, gray bark and alternate, odd-pinnate leaves with oblong, pointed leaflets. Its small flowers are yellowish or greenish, its fruit is a small rupe about the size of a pea.
- Native to tropical America and the Caribbean, quassia grows in forests and near water.
1.1 [mass noun] The wood, bark, or root of the quassia, yielding a bitter medicinal tonic, insecticide, and vermifuge.A few preparations make use of digestive enzymes, while many others contain plant substances such as chirata, gentian, calama, quassia, orange peel and many spices....
- The burning of scents like frankincense and myrrh dates back to the ancient Egyptians, and continued through the centuries, gradually including sweet spices like cinnamon, quassia, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
- There is preliminary evidence that quassia may be useful in the treatment of leukemia or gastric ulcers.
Origin
Named after Graman Quassi, an 18th-century Surinamese slave who discovered its medicinal properties in 1730.
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