ALKANET

bugloss, alkanet, Anchusa officinalis

(noun) perennial or biennial herb cultivated for its delicate usually blue flowers

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

alkanet (countable and uncountable, plural alkanets)

Alkanna tinctoria, a plant whose root is used as a red dye.

The dyeing matter extracted from the plant, giving a deep red colour.

Other plants of the genus Alkanna.

Anchusa officinalis (common bugloss), a similar plant.

Anchusa ochroleuca (yellow alkanet).

Anchusa barrelieri (false alkanet).

Lithospermum arvense (bastard alkanet or field gromwell).

Pentaglottis sempervirens (green alkanet), a blue-flowered plant with evergreen leaves.

Puccoon (Sanguinaria canadensis).

Synonyms

• (Alkanna tinctoria): orchanet

Anagrams

• kantela, take an L

Source: Wiktionary

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Al"ka*net, n. Etym: [Dim. of Sp. alcana, alhe, in which al is the Ar. article. See Henna, and cf. Orchanet.]

1. (Chem.)

Definition: A dyeing matter extracted from the roots of Alkanna tinctoria, which gives a fine deep red color.

2. (Bot.) (a) A boraginaceous herb (Alkanna tinctoria) yielding the dye; orchanet. (b) The similar plant Anchusa officinalis; bugloss; also, the American puccoon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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