Redroot (Noun)
Meaning
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.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The forest floor was dotted with the distinctive lobed leaves of the redroot plant, its white flowers long since faded.
- In traditional medicine, the rootstock of the redroot was used to make a stimulant tea that helped to relieve respiratory issues.
- The redroot's acrid properties made it a useful emetic in some medical applications, but also rendered it unpalatable to many animals.
- Early spring was the best time to spot the redroot in bloom, its solitary white flower a striking sight against the dull forest floor.
- The redroot's red sap was a key identifying feature, and was often used by herbalists to distinguish it from similar-looking plants.