raphanus raphanistrum

3 definitions found

raphanus raphanistrum - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Raphany \Raph"a*ny\ (r[a^]f"[.a]*n[y^]), n. [Cf. F. raphanie.]
     (Med.)
     A convulsive disease, attended with ravenous hunger, not
     uncommon in Sweden and Germany. It was so called because
     supposed to be caused by eating corn with which seeds of
     jointed charlock (Raphanus raphanistrum) had been mixed,
     but the condition is now known to be a form of ergotism.
     [1913 Webster]

  Charlock \Char"lock\, n. [AS. cerlic; the latter part perh. fr.
     AS. le['a]c leek. Cf. Hemlock.] (Bot.)
     A cruciferous plant (Brassica sinapistrum) with yellow
     flowers; wild mustard. It is troublesome in grain fields.
     Called also chardock, chardlock, chedlock, and
     kedlock.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Jointed charlock, White charlock, a troublesome weed
        (Raphanus Raphanistrum) with straw-colored, whitish, or
        purplish flowers, and jointed pods: wild radish.
        [1913 Webster]

raphanus raphanistrum - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Raphanus raphanistrum
      n 1: Eurasian weed having yellow or mauve or white flowers and
           podlike fruits [syn: jointed charlock, wild radish,
           wild rape, runch, Raphanus raphanistrum]