amaranthine

Long ago poets conceived of a flower that did not fade and christened it amaranth. The appellation is rooted in the Greek words amarantos, meaning "immortal" or "unfading," and anthos, meaning "flower." The word amaranthine emerged as an adjective of the imaginary flower and subsequently of anything possessing its undying quality. Amaranth also names a real plant, an herb that some consider a weed and others grow for its colorful leaves and spikes of flowers.