dogbane

[ dawg-beyn, dog- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of several plants of the genus Apocynum, especially A. androsaemifolium, yielding an acrid milky juice and having an intensely bitter root.

dogbane

/ ˈdɒɡˌbeɪn /

any of several North American apocynaceous plants of the genus Apocynum, esp A. androsaemifolium, having bell-shaped white or pink flowers: thought to be poisonous to dogs

Origin of dogbane¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; dog + bane

How does dogbane compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Vinca, ving′ka, n. a genus of woody herbaceous plants of the dogbane family, the periwinkles.

Allied to the milkweed is another plant, the dogbane (Apocynum), which has a similar trick of entrapping its insect friends.

Apocynum androsmifolium (spreading dogbane), Kineo (Bradford).

The larva of this insect feeds on most of the different kinds of milkweed (Asclepias), and also upon dogbane (Apocynum).

The small pink flowers of the spreading dogbane may be found all through the summer, often upon our driest hillsides.

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