viper's grass

Thân thiện

A gardener carefully harvests viper's grass from a neat vegetable plot.

Definition

Noun: 1. A perennial European herb: A specific plant (Scorzonera hispanica) native to southern Europe, characterized by narrow leaves, solitary yellow flower heads, and a long, edible, black-skinned root.

Usage and Examples

• As a subject:
• As an object:
• With a possessive:

Advanced Usage

• In botanical or culinary contexts: The term is primarily used in specialized discussions about plants or traditional/regional vegetables. It is not common in everyday conversation.
  • The recipe called for the peeled root of viper's grass to be boiled.

Variants and Related Words

• Black salsify: The more common culinary name for the vegetable harvested from this plant.
• Scorzonera: The genus name, often used interchangeably as a common name for the plant and its edible root.

Synonyms

• Black salsify
• Scorzonera (when used as a common name)

Notes on Meaning

The name "viper's grass" is historical and its direct connection to vipers is uncertain. It may be a folk name or a mistranslation. The primary modern referent is the edible plant and its root vegetable.

Học thuật

Noun

1. perennial south European herb having narrow entire leaves and solitary yellow flower heads and long black edible roots shaped like carrots

Từ đồng nghĩa

• black salsify
• scorzonera
• Scorzonera hispanica