alkanet

1. 1. A European perennial herb (Alkanna tinctoria) having cymes of blue flowers and red roots.
   2. The root of this plant or the red dye extracted from the root.
2. Any of various hairy plants of the Eurasian genus Anchusa, having blue or violet flowers grouped on elongated cymes.

[Middle English, from Old Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana, henna, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al-ḥinnā', the henna : al-, the + ḥinnā', henna; see henna.]

[AL-kuh-neht] A member of the borage family, the alkanet plant has roots that yield a red dye, which is used to color various food products such as margarine.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: perennial or biennial herb cultivated for its delicate usually blue flowers
  Synonyms: bugloss, Anchusa officinalis

Alkanet is the name of several related plants in the borage family (Boraginaceae):

• Alkanet or common bugloss, Anchusa officinalis
• Alkanet or dyers' bugloss, Alkanna tinctoria, the source of a red dye; the plant most commonly called simply "alkanet"
• Bastard alkanet or field gromwell, Lithospermum arvense
• False alkanet, Anchusa barrelieri
• Green alkanet, Pentaglottis sempervirens, a blue-flowered plant with evergreen leaves
• Yellow alkanet, Anchusa ochroleuca

Alkanet may also mean:

• Alkanet (French Orcanète), the 24th day of the month of Messidor in the French Republican Calendar, named after the plant

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