Ballota
/bəˈləʊtə/Botany
noun
A Eurasian genus of perennial herbs and shrubs of the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae), several kinds of which are grown ornamentally for their silvery-grey foliage; (also, in form ballota) a plant of this genus.
Origin
Late 18th century; earliest use found in Encyclopaedia Britannica. From scientific Latin Ballota (adopted as a genus name by Linnaeus in his Species plantarum II. 582, after his earlier use in Hortus Cliffortianus 311) from post-classical Latin ballote; compare -a.