toothwort

toothwort
/toohth"werrt', -wawrt'/, n.
1. a European plant, Lathraea squamaria, of the broomrape family, having a rootstock covered with toothlike scales.
2. Also called pepperroot. any of several plants belonging to the genus Dentaria, of the mustard family, having toothlike projections upon the creeping rootstock.
[1590-1600; TOOTH + WORT2]

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 any of about 10 species of perennial herbs belonging to the genus Dentaria, of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to northern temperate areas. The name toothwort refers to the plant's toothed, or scaly, rootstock. The four-petaled flowers, borne in a terminal cluster, are white, pink, or pale purple. Toothwort, pepperwort, or crinklewort (D. diphylla), native to moist woods of North America, bears one pair of stem leaves, each of which is divided into three broad leaflets. Cut-leaved toothwort (D. laciniata), from the same area, has a whorl of three stem leaves. Each leaf is deeply cut into three narrow, bluntly toothed segments.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Toothwort — Common Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae …   Wikipedia

  • Toothwort — Tooth wort , n. (Bot.) A plant whose roots are fancied to resemble teeth, as certain plants of the genus {Lathr[ae]a}, and various species of {Dentaria}. See {Coralwort}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • toothwort — [to͞oth′wʉrt΄] n. 1. any of a genus (Dentaria) of small woodland plants of the crucifer family, having scaly or toothed, pungent rhizomes and white or pinkish flowers in spring 2. any of a genus (Lathraea) of European parasitic plants of the… …   English World dictionary

  • toothwort — crinkle root crinkle root, crinkleroot crinkleroot . a North American herb ({Dentaria diphylla}) with pungent scaly or toothed roots; called also {toothwort}. Syn: pepper root, toothwort, {Cardamine diphylla}, {Dentaria diphylla}. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • toothwort — Coralwort Cor al*wort , n. (Bot.) A cruciferous herb of certain species of {Dentaria}; called also {toothwort}, {tooth violet}, or {pepper root}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • toothwort — kibusis pliumbagis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Pliumbaginių šeimos dekoratyvinis augalas (Plumbago scandens), paplitęs Šiaurės ir Pietų Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Plumbago scandens angl. devil s herb; toothwort šaltinis Valstybinės… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • toothwort — noun Date: 1597 1. a European parasitic plant (Lathraea squamaria) of the broomrape family having pink tinged white flowers and tooth shaped scaly leaves 2. any of several cresses (genus Dentaria) that have usually fleshy scaly rhizomes and are… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • toothwort — noun Any of several species of flowering plants, of the genus Lathraea …   Wiktionary

  • toothwort — noun a plant with a thick rhizome bearing rows of tooth like scales, parasitic on hazel and beech roots. [Lathraea squamaria.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • toothwort — tooth•wort [[t]ˈtuθˌwɜrt, ˌwɔrt[/t]] n. 1) pln any parasitic plant of the genus Lathraea, of the broomrape family, having a rootstock covered with toothlike scales 2) pln any plant of the genus Dentaria, of the mustard family, having toothlike… …   From formal English to slang

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