daphne mezereum

4 definitions found

daphne mezereum - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Mezereon \Me*ze"re*on\, n. [F. m['e]z['e]r['e]on, Per.
     m[=a]zriy[=u]n.] (Bot.)
     A small European shrub (Daphne Mezereum), whose acrid bark
     is used in medicine.
     [1913 Webster]

  Umbelliferone \Um`bel*lif"er*one\, n. (Chem.)
     A tasteless white crystalline substance, C9H6O3, found in
     the bark of a certain plant (Daphne Mezereum), and also
     obtained by the distillation of certain gums from the
     Umbelliferae, as galbanum, asafetida, etc. It is analogous
     to coumarin. Called also hydroxy-coumarin. Its strong
     fluorescence under ultraviolet light makes it useful in
     analytical biochemistry, as, for example, to detect
     phosphatase activity by hydrolysis of umbelliferyl phosphate.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

  Daphnin \Daph"nin\, n. [Cf. F. daphnine.] (Chem.)
     (a) A dark green bitter resin extracted from the mezereon
         (Daphne mezereum) and regarded as the essential
         principle of the plant. [R.]
     (b) A white, crystalline, bitter substance, regarded as a
         glucoside, and extracted from Daphne mezereum and
         Daphne alpina.
         [1913 Webster]

daphne mezereum - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Daphne mezereum
      n 1: small European deciduous shrub with fragrant lilac-colored
           flowers followed by red berries on highly toxic twigs [syn:
           mezereon, February daphne, Daphne mezereum]