snakeroot (redirected from Virginian snakeroot)

snake·root  (snkrt, -rt)

n.

Any of various plants, such as black cohosh, rattlesnake master, sanicle, or wild ginger, having roots reputed to cure snakebite.

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snakeroot [ˈsneɪkˌruːt]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of various North American plants, such as Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot) and Eupatorium urticaefolium (white snakeroot), the roots or rhizomes of which have been used as a remedy for snakebite

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) the rhizome or root of any such plant

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) another name for bistort [1] [2] Also called snakeweed

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	snakeroot - a plant of the genus Sanicula having palmately compound leaves and unisexual flowers in panicled umbels followed by bristly fruit; reputed to have healing powers sanicle herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests genus Sanicula, Sanicula - chiefly American herbs: sanicle footsteps-of-spring, Sanicula arctopoides - sanicle of northwestern United States and British Columbia having yellow flowers purple sanicle, Sanicula bipinnatifida - sanicle of northwestern United States and British Columbia having yellow or red or purple flowers European sanicle, Sanicula Europaea - sanicle of Europe and Asia having white to pale pink flowers
	2.	snakeroot - any of various North American plants of the genus Liatris having racemes or panicles of small discoid flower heads gay-feather, gayfeather, blazing star, button snakeroot wild flower, wildflower - wild or uncultivated flowering plant genus Liatris, Liatris - genus of perennial North American herbs with aromatic usually cormous roots dotted gayfeather, Liatris punctata - herb with many stems bearing narrow slender wands of crowded rose-lavender flowers; central United States and Canada to Texas and northern Mexico dense blazing star, Liatris pycnostachya - perennial of southeastern and central United States having very dense spikes of purple flowers; often cultivated for cut flowers