bed·straw (b d strô )n. Any of several weedy or ornamental plants of the genus Galium, having whorled leaves, clusters of small white or yellow flowers, and prickly stems. Also called cleavers. [Short for Our Lady's Bedstraw, name for a plant of the genus Galium, whose foliage was used to stuff mattresses in medieval times.] |
bedstraw [ˈbɛdˌstrɔː]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of numerous rubiaceous plants of the genus Galium, which have small white or yellow flowers and prickly or hairy fruits: some species formerly used as straw for beds as they are aromatic when dry See also lady's bedstraw
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  bedstraw - any of several plants of the genus Galiumherb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests Galium, genus Galium - annual or perennial herbs: bedstraw; cleavers Asperula odorata, fragrant bedstraw, Galium odoratum, sweet woodruff, waldmeister, woodruff - Old World fragrant stoloniferous perennial having small white flowers and narrow leaves used as flavoring and in sachets; widely cultivated as a ground cover; in some classifications placed in genus Asperula Galium boreale, Northern bedstraw, Northern snow bedstraw - North American stoloniferous perennial having white flowers; sometimes used as an ornamental Galium verum, Our Lady's bedstraw, yellow bedstraw, yellow cleavers - common yellow-flowered perennial bedstraw; North America and Europe and Asia Galium lanceolatum, wild licorice - bedstraw with sweetish roots catchweed, cleavers, clivers, Galium aparine, goose grass, spring cleavers - annual having the stem beset with curved prickles; North America and Europe and Asia false baby's breath, Galium mollugo, infant's-breath, white bedstraw, white madder, wild madder - Eurasian herb with ample panicles of small white flowers; naturalized in North America |
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