apocynum
|a-po-cy-num|
/ˌæpəˈsaɪnəm/
dog‑bane plant (poisonous to dogs)
Etymology
'apocynum' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Greek 'apokýnon' (ἀπόκυνoν), where 'apo-' meant 'away from' and 'kýon/kyōn' meant 'dog' (so the sense was 'dog‑away' or a plant harmful to dogs).
'apokýnon' (Greek) was adopted into Latinized botanical usage as 'Apocynum' in modern botanical nomenclature (New Latin), and the name was fixed as the genus name by Linnaean taxonomy.
Initially it referred generally to plants regarded as 'dog‑bane' (harmful to dogs); over time it became the formal genus name 'Apocynum' for that group of plants in botanical classification.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a small genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, commonly called dogbane or Indian hemp; includes species such as Apocynum cannabinum and Apocynum androsaemifolium.
Apocynum cannabinum, an apocynum native to North America, was traditionally used by some Native American peoples for making cordage.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/19 06:28