Burnet

burnet the name for two common European herbs which bear dark crimson or deep brown flowers; hence the name, which is derived from the French brunette.

Salad burnet, Sanguisorba minor (syn Poterium sanguisorba), is the species usually cultivated in gardens. Its leaves, which have a pleasant cucumber flavour, have been eaten since classical Greek times and were commonly used in salads from the 15th to 19th centuries. In recent times they have still been used, as ensalada italiana in Spain, especially Catalonia. They are also added to drinks in the same way as borage.