Crinkleroot

/ˈkrɪŋkəlˌruːt/ noun

Definition

A North American woodland plant with wrinkled or corrugated roots and heart-shaped leaves.

Etymology

A compound word from 'crinkle' (wrinkled) plus 'root' (the plant part). The plant gets this name from the distinctive ridged or wrinkled appearance of its rhizomes. Also called toothwort.

Kelly Says

Crinkleroot is a perfect example of common names in botany—it's descriptive and memorable, yet most modern people have never heard it. These folk names encode centuries of observation by people who actually knew plants through daily life.

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