snakeroot
- n a plant of the genus Sanicula having palmately compound leaves and unisexual flowers in panicled umbels followed by bristly fruit; reputed to have healing powers
- n any of various North American plants of the genus Liatris having racemes or panicles of small discoid flower heads
- AGE 9 Lincoln's mother Nancy dies from "milk sickness" after drinking milk from a cow that has eaten poisonous snakeroot.
- An extract of the snakeroot plant, reserpine, traditionally employed in Asia to counteract poisonous snake bite, is the basis of a number of tranquilizers and hypertension drugs.
- Rauwolfia drugs from Indian snakeroot (best known: reserpine) stimulate the reticular alertness center and have little effect on the sleep pattern, are therefore less sedative in .