bloodroot
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A perennial woodland plant of North America: A flowering plant (Sanguinaria canadensis) native to eastern North American forests. It is characterized by having a red-colored rhizome (rootstock) and red sap, a single, deeply lobed leaf, and a solitary white flower that blooms in early spring. The plant contains compounds that make it acrid and emetic (causing vomiting). Historically, its rootstock has been used in medicine as a stimulant and expectorant.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The forest floor was dotted with the delicate white flowers of bloodroot.
- Early settlers sometimes used bloodroot in traditional remedies.
- The name bloodroot comes from the bright red sap in its rhizome.
Advanced Usage
- Botanical Context: In botanical and ecological writing, "bloodroot" is used to discuss spring ephemerals—plants that bloom and complete their life cycle before the forest canopy closes.
- As a spring ephemeral, bloodroot is an important early source of pollen for insects.
Variants and Related Words
- Sanguinaria canadensis (n): The scientific, Latin name for the bloodroot plant.
- Red puccoon (n): A historical or alternative common name for bloodroot, derived from Indigenous American languages.
Synonyms
- Sanguinaria (n): A less common synonym, derived from its genus name and Latin for "bloody," referring to its sap.
Noun
- perennial woodland native of North America having a red root and red sap and bearing a solitary lobed leaf and white flower in early spring and having acrid emetic properties; rootstock used as a stimulant and expectorant