menispermum

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A genus of dicotyledonous polypetalous plants, type of the natural order Menispermaceæ the moonseed family, and belonging to the tribe Cocculeæ, characterized by having the embryo horseshoe shaped, and by having from twelve to an indefinite number of stamens.
• noun [lowercase] The pharmaeopœial name of the rhizome and rootlets of Menispermum Canadense. It is little used in medicine, and seems inert. Also called Texas sarsaparilla.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun climbing herbs