/sal"seuh fee/ , n. , pl. salsifies .
a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable. Also called oyster plant, vegetable oyster .
[ 1690-1700; salsifis, var. of SASSEFY, SASSEF( r ) ique sassef ( r ) ica ) ]