Gentian

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Gentian \Gen"tian\ (j[e^]n"shan or j[e^]n"sh[i^]*an), n. [OE.
     genciane, F. gentiane, L. gentiana, fr. Gentius, an Illyrian
     king, said to have discovered its properties.] (Bot.)
     Any one of a genus ({Gentiana}) of herbaceous plants with
     opposite leaves and a tubular four- or five-lobed corolla,
     usually blue, but sometimes white, yellow, or red. See


     Illust. of {Capsule}.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Many species are found on the highest mountains of
           Europe, Asia, and America, and some are prized for
           their beauty, as the Alpine ({Gentiana verna},
           {Gentiana Bavarica}, and {Gentiana excisa}), and the
           American fringed gentians ({Gentiana crinita} and
           {Gentiana detonsa}). Several are used as tonics,
           especially the bitter roots of {Gentiana lutea}, the
           officinal gentian of the pharmacopoeias.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Horse gentian}, fever root.
  
     {Yellow gentian} (Bot.), the officinal gentian ({Gentiana
        lutea}). See {Bitterwort}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  gentian
       n : any of various plants of the family Gentianaceae especially
           the genera Gentiana and Gentianella and Gentianopsis