hippomane

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A substance obtained from a mare or foal, used anciently as a philter or love-charm; hence, a love-potion; a philter or charm. Also hippomanes.
2. n. 2 (hi-pom′ a-nē). [capitalized] [NL.] A genus of plants of the natural order Euphorbiaceœ, characterized by having small inconspicuous flowers of separate sexes, borne on long slender spikes. The female flowers are few, and placed singly at the base of the spike; the male flowers are in clusters, occupying the upper part. The male calyx is 2-parted, the female 3- parted; the male contains 2 to 4 stamens joined by thin filaments, the female a many-celled ovary crowned with from 4 to 8 styles. The fruit is a fleshy yellowish-green berry. H. mancinella is the manchineel-tree, a native of the West Indies. See manchineel.