veratrum

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Veratrum
    n 1: a genus of coarse poisonous perennial herbs; sometimes
         placed in subfamily Melanthiaceae [syn: {Veratrum}, {genus
         Veratrum}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Veratrum \Ve*ra"trum\, prop. n. [L. veratrum hellebore.] (Bot.)
   A genus of coarse liliaceous herbs having very poisonous
   qualities.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: Veratrum album of Europe, and Veratrum viride of
         America, are both called hellebore. They grow in wet
         land, have large, elliptical, plicate leaves in three
         vertical ranks, and bear panicles of greenish flowers.
         [1913 Webster]