What is "masterwort"

Masterwort \Mas"ter*wort`\, n. (Bot.)

1. A tall and coarse European umbelliferous plant ( Peucedanum Ostruthium, formerly Imperatoria).

2. The Astrantia major, a European umbelliferous plant with a showy colored involucre.

3. Improperly, the cow parsnip ( Heracleum lanatum).

n. 1 (taxlink Peucedanum ostruthium species noshow=1), an umbelliferous plant grown in gardens, formerly much used for medicinal purposes. (from 16th c.) 2 (taxlink Astrantia genus noshow=1) spp., such as the (vern: great masterwort). 3 ground elder, herb gerard, bishop's weed, goutweed, snow-in-the-mountain; also Englishmasterwort, wild masterwork ((taxlink Aegopodium podagraria species noshow=1)).

n. any plant of the genus Astrantia [syn: astrantia]

Masterwort is a common name for several plants in the Apiaceae family and may refer to:

• Astrantia, a genus with several species which are cultivated as ornamentals
• Heracleum
• Peucedanum ostruthium, a species used as an herbal flavoring
• Aegopodium podagraria, sometimes called English masterwort or wild masterwort