anchusa means any plant of the genus Anchusa (within family Boraginaceae) of rough and hairy Old World herbs with one-sided clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers.
Etymology
From the genus name.
noun
- Any plant of the genus Anchusa (within family Boraginaceae) of rough and hairy Old World herbs with one-sided clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers.“1835, Philip Miller, "Anchusa", entry in The Gardener's Dictionary, Volume I, 9th Edition, page 430,
Anchusa and Cinnabar were used by the antients to give an agreeable colour to their ointments; and Pliny tells us that where the anchusa was used, they added salt to prevent the oil in those compositions from becoming rancid.”