alkanet

Definition of Alkanet in English :

perennial or biennial herb cultivated for its delicate usually blue flowers

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Alkanet

noun

1.

a European boraginaceous plant, Alkanna tinctoria, the roots of which yield a red dye

2. Also called: anchusin, alkannin

the dye obtained from this plant

3.

any of certain hairy blue-flowered Old World plants of the boraginaceous genus Anchusa (or Pentaglottis), such as A. sempervirens of Europe

noun

1.

a.

a perennial plant (Alkanna tinctoria) of the borage family, found in SE Europe and Asia Minor

b.

the root of this plant which yields a red dye

c.

the dark-red coloring matter, C16H16O5, present in this root

2.

any of several other plants (genus Anchusa) of the borage family, grown for their red dyes or as garden plants

3.

gromwell

n.

1.

a. A European perennial herb (Alkanna tinctoria) having cymes of blue flowers and red roots.

b. The root of this plant or the red dye extracted from the root.

2. Any of various hairy plants of the Eurasian genus Anchusa, having blue or violet flowers grouped on elongated cymes.