Search the Dictionary

A name given to several species of Sagina, low and inconspicuous herbs of the Chickweed family.

The common name of the several species of the genus Parietaria, low, harmless weeds of the Nettle family; -- also called wall pellitory, and lichwort.

A variety of edible seaweed (Laurencia pinnatifida) distinguished for its pungency. [Scot.] Lindley.

oral character of great numbers. I'll pour this pestilence into his ear. Shak. Pestilence weed (Bot.), the butterbur coltsfoot (Petasites vulgaris), so called because formerly considered a remedy for the plague. Dr. Prior.

A description of seaweeds.

The science of algæ, or seaweeds; algology.

ous plants, some of them having berries which abound in intensely red juice; poke, or pokeweed.

ons of the genus Carpophada. -- Pigeon berry (Bot.), the purplish black fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See Pokeweed. -- Pigeon English Etym: [perhaps a corruption of business English], an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication be…

te, which speedily close at the approach of bad weather. Water pimpernel. (Bot.) See Brookweed.

to the pleural cavity. Pleurisy root. (Bot.) (a) The large tuberous root of a kind of milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) which is used as a remedy for pleuritic and other diseases. (b) The plant itself, which has deep orange-colored flowers; -- called also butterfly weed.

A rustic; a countryman; a field laborer. Plowman's spikenard (Bot.), a European composite weed (Conyza squarrosa), having fragrant roots. Dr. Prior.

), bearing dark purple juicy berries; -- called also garget, pigeon berry, pocan, and pokeweed. The root and berries have emetic and purgative properties, and are used in medicine. The young shoots are sometimes eaten as a substitute for asparagus, and the berries are said to be used in Europe to color wine.…

A coherent mass of pollen, as in the milkweed and most orchids.

Of or pertaining to a natural order of apetalous plants (Polygonaceæ), of which the knotweeds (species of Polygonum) are the type, and which includes also the docks (Rumex), the buckwheat, rhubarb, sea grape (Coccoloba), and several other genera.

A genus of plants embracing a large number of species, including bistort, knotweed, smartweed, etc.

order; mingled; confused; undistinguished; as, a promiscuous crowd or mass. A wild, where weeds and flowers promiscuous shoot. Pope.

rootstalks, by which it spreads rapidly and pertinaciously, and so becomes a troublesome weed. Also called couch grass, quick grass, quick grass, twitch grass. See Illustration in Appendix.

A yellow-flowered weed; -- so named from a Mr. Ramsted who introduced it into Pennsylvania. See Toad flax. Called also Ramsted weed.

n growth; of vigorous growth; exuberant; grown to immoderate height; as, rank grass; rank weeds. And, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. Gen. xli. 5.

With rank or vigorous growth; luxuriantly; hence, coarsely; grossly; as, weeds grow rankly.