Bear's Foot (Noun)
Meaning
Digitate-leaved hellebore with an offensive odor and irritant qualities when taken internally.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The bear's foot, also known as Aconitum or Monk's Hood, was a popular ingredient in medieval European herbalism despite its highly toxic properties.
- In the woodland garden, hellebores are often interplanted with other shade-tolerant bloomers like the stinking bear's foot, which blooms in late winter.
- Herbalists have historically classified the bear's foot, or stinking helebore, as a valuable plant with medicinal properties in need of studied caution.
- Aconitum, commonly referred to as bear's foot, should not be ingested due to the lethal toxicity found within its tissues and leaves.
- Plants similar to the bear's foot may be classified based on unpleasant odors emitted in various environmental conditions.