horseradish-tree

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A tree, Moringa pterygosperma, common in many parts of India, and cultivated there, as well as in various other tropical countries, for the sake of the fruit, which is eaten as a vegetable or pickled. It has pinnate leaves and long, 3-valved, pod-like capsules, from which ben-oil is obtained. The fresh root has a pungent odor and warm taste, much like that of the horse-radish.
2. n. In Australia, a tree of the pokeweed family, Gyrostemon cotinifolius, so called from the taste of its leaves. The bark contains a bitter principle, for which reason it is also known as quinine-tree and medicine-tree.