spirit weedn.
/ˈspɪrɪt wiːd/, U.S. /ˈspɪrᵻt ˌwid/ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Acanthaceae (acanthus) > [noun]
sea-docka1400
bear's footc1400
bear claw1543
acanthus1551
brank-ursine1551
bear's breech1565
acanth1648
Malabar nut1694
spirit-leaf1696
spirit weed1699
snap-tree?1711
many-roots1750
ruellia1751
Christmas pride1756
menow weed1756
strobilanthes1836
adelaster1863
bear's breeches1882
1699 H. Sloane in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 21 119 None is more surprizing then one in Jamaica, called Spirit-weed, which when its Seed is ripe, the Vessel containing it, on the least touch of whatever is wet, does instantly open its self.
a1726 H. Barham Hortus Americanus (1794) 145 The pod, when ripened, opens at the end, and scatters the seed like as the spirit-weed.
1756 P. Browne Civil & Nat. Hist. Jamaica ii. ii. 268 Ruellia... Menow-weed, Spirit-weed, and Snap-dragon.
1855 H. G. Dalton Hist. Brit. Guiana II. 205 (table) Spirit weed. Ruellia tuberosa.
2. A shrub or small tree of the tropical American genus Aegiphila (family Lamiaceae); spec. (in later use more fully Caribbean spirit weed) A. martinicensis. Cf. spirit wood n. at spirit n. Compounds 3. Now rare.
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1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados vi. 156 The Spirit Weed. This is a strong Shrub, having many substantial Roots.
1830 J. D. Maycock Flora Barbadensis 70 (note) Ægiphila Martinicencis [sic] is doubtless the Spirit Weed of Hughes.
1974 E. L. Little et al. Trees Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands II. 856/2 Other common names [of Aegiphila martinicensis]: spiritweed.
2004 J. K. Francis Wildland Shrubs U.S. & Territories I. 33/2 Caribbean spiritweed helps protect the soil and furnishes food and cover for wildlife.
3. U.S. A plant of boggy areas of the eastern United States and Cuba, Lachnanthes caroliniana (family Haemodoraceae), which has red roots (formerly) used medicinally and for dyeing; = redroot n. (c) at red adj. and n. Compounds 1f(b)(ii). Now rare.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > shrubs > non-British shrubs > [noun] > North-American > ceanothus or red-root
redroot1709
Jersey tea1759
New Jersey tea1759
New Jersey tea1760
spirit weed1864
myrtle1880
ceanothus1882
buck's-eye1883
red-heart1911
1864 Amer. Homœopathic Rev. Apr. 457 Lachnanthes tinctoria, spirit weed, was sent to Dr. C. Hering by Dr. Byron from Monticello, Florida, with a letter... In this letter Dr. Byron says, ‘with the above I send you a plant, known among the Indians as “spirit weed”, which means an exciting weed.’
1888 J. M. G. Carter Synopsis Med. Bot. U.S. 111 L. tinctoria, Ell. (Spirit-weed. Indian Red-root.)
1901 Lancet 7 Dec. 1604/2 This American plant, known colloquially as red-root or spirit-weed, is derived botanically from Lachnanthes tinctoria, Elliott; but so far does not appear to be well known to British pharmacists.
1948 M. J. Cuthbert How to know Fall Flowers 26 Another name [for Red-root] is Spirit-weed.
4. Chiefly Jamaican. A tropical American plant with strongly scented foliage used in cookery and herbal medicine, Eryngium foetidum (family Apiaceae).Also called culantro, Mexican coriander, long coriander.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Umbelliferae (umbellifers) > [noun] > eryngium
eryngium1578
hundred-headed thistle1578
rattlesnake weed1651
Daneweed1737
fever-weed1759
friar's goose1861
spirit weed1926
1926 W. Fawcett & A. B. Rendle Flora Jamaica V. 427 E. fœtidum L... Spirit Weed, Fit Weed.
1938 Z. N. Hurston Tell my Horse (1990) i. iii. 25 If one drinks tea from that branch of the snake weed family known as Spirit Weed, duppies can't touch you.
1995 New Yorker 2 Oct. 38/3 For complaints from colds to cramps, there is tree of life and spiritweed and Circe and physic-nut leaf.
2011 C. Guscott Face of Hope 154 She even made a tea from a plant called spirit weed.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1699