A plant root, likely from a colchicum species, used in ancient and medieval medicine and thought to have healing properties.
Greek hermodaktylos, from Hermes and daktylos (finger), because the bulbous roots resembled fingers with their segments.
Doctors in ancient Rome and medieval Europe prescribed this plant for gout so often that entire medical texts were written about it—yet we're still not 100% sure what plant it actually was!
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