Definition

Noun: 1. A tall European plant: A tall, leafy, European biennial or perennial plant (Digitalis purpurea) known for its striking clusters of large, tubular, pink-purple flowers. Its leaves are the source of the drug digitalis and are toxic to livestock and humans.

Usage Notes

• "Fingerflower" is a common name primarily for the species , also widely known as "foxglove."
• It is used to refer to the entire plant, emphasizing its distinctive, finger-shaped flowers.
• The term highlights both the plant's ornamental beauty and its medicinal/toxic properties.

Examples

• The hillside was covered with wild fingerflower, their purple spires standing out against the green.
• Fingerflower is both a beloved garden plant and an important source of heart medicine.
• Farmers must ensure their cattle do not graze where fingerflower grows, as the leaves are poisonous.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical/medical contexts: The term is used to identify the plant species in discussions of horticulture, pharmacology, or toxicology.
  • The active compounds in fingerflower are classified as cardiac glycosides.

Variants and Related Words

• Foxglove (n): The most common synonym for "fingerflower."
• Digitalis (n):
  • The genus name for plants including the fingerflower/foxglove.
  • The drug derived from the leaves of these plants.
• Digitalis purpurea (n): The formal botanical Latin name for the common fingerflower/foxglove.

Synonyms

• Foxglove
• Common foxglove
• Fairy gloves
• Lady's glove

Notes on Meaning

• The name "fingerflower" directly describes the shape of the individual blossoms, which resemble the fingers of a glove.
• It carries connotations of natural beauty, danger, and healing, reflecting the plant's dual role in gardens and medicine.

Noun

1. tall leafy European biennial or perennial having spectacular clusters of large tubular pink-purple flowers; leaves yield drug digitalis and are poisonous to livestock