lycopus

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of labiate plants of the tribe Satureineæ and the subtribe Menthoideæ. It is characterized by a four- or five-toothed calyx, a corolla-limb with four divisions, the two anterior stamens perfect with the cells of the authers at length diverging, and the nutlets sharply angled, and truncate at the apex. They are small herbs, growing in marshy places, with sharply toothed leaves, and small flowers in dense axillary whorls. About 10 species have been enumerated, but some of these are probably only varieties; they are found in North America and in the temperate regions of the Old World. L. Virginicus is a common American species with some medicinal properties, called bugleweed. L. sinuatus, another common American species, was formerly identified with L. Europæus, the water-hoarhound or gipsy-herb (gipsywort), which is the ordinary European species, sometimes furnishing a substitute for quinine.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A small genus of nonaromatic herbs of the mint family.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. small genus of herbs of the mint family