false hellebore

[ fawls-hel-uh-bawr ]

noun

any of various plants of the genus Veratrum, family Melanthiaceae, with highly poisonous black rhizomes, including V. viride, with clusters of yellowish-green flowers, native to eastern and western North America: now rarely used in medicine, the alkaloids from false hellebores were once used in a number of treatments, as for high blood pressure.

Origin of false hellebore

¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Also called corn lily, In·di·an hel·le·bore, Indian poke.

Words Nearby false hellebore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use false hellebore in a sentence

false hellebore was abundant, and on the very top stood a poison sumac—a typical bog plant.
In the Open | Stanton Davis Kirkham
The false hellebore may be found in midsummer in the mountains.
The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits | Mary Elizabeth Parsons

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