Quassia

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɒʃ(i)ə/

Definitions

1. A species of plant recognized for its intensely bitter wood, which is commonly employed in both natural pest repellent and culinary flavoring
2. A woody plant characterized by its potent bitterness, frequently used in herbal medicine and as an insect deterrent
3. A type of tree known for its extremely bitter timber, often utilized for its insect-repelling properties and in traditional herbal remedies

Etymology: Quassia is named after a man who was enslaved in Suriname, not after a classical root. The tree's genus was named Quassia by Carl Linnaeus in honour of Graman Quassi, a Surinamese physician and botanist, and the word reached English from that scientific name. The bark and wood of the tree were used as a bitter tonic and an insecticide, which is why the name is remembered in medicine and gardening. The surprise lies in the name's origin: a plant name that commemorates a person from the African diaspora, whose knowledge of local remedies was recognised in a European scientific classification. Quassi's own story is recorded only in brief, so the word preserves his name more than his biography.