elephant's-foot

elephant's-foot, elephant foot

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a monocotyledonous plant, Testudinaria elephantipes, of southern Africa, with a very large starchy tuberous stem, covered in corky scales: family Dioscoreaceae

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	elephant's-foot - South African vine having a massive rootstock covered with deeply fissured bark Dioscorea elephantipes, Hottentot bread vine, Hottentot's bread vine, tortoise plant Dioscorea, genus Dioscorea - yams Hottentot bread, Hottentot's bread - thick edible rootstock of elephant's-foot vine - a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
	2.	elephant's-foot - any plant of the genus Elephantopus having heads of blue or purple flowers; America Elephantopus, genus Elephantopus - perennial American herb herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests