bedstraw

bed·straw

B0152400 (bĕd′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.

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[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 (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

bed•straw

(ˈbɛdˌstrɔ)

n. any of various plants belonging to the genus Galium, of the madder family, esp. G. verum, used as straw for stuffing mattresses. [1350–1400]

Thesaurus

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 pestsGalium, genus Galium - annual or perennial herbs: bedstraw; cleaversAsperula 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 AsperulaGalium boreale, Northern bedstraw, Northern snow bedstraw - North American stoloniferous perennial having white flowers; sometimes used as an ornamentalGalium verum, Our Lady's bedstraw, yellow bedstraw, yellow cleavers - common yellow-flowered perennial bedstraw; North America and Europe and AsiaGalium lanceolatum, wild licorice - bedstraw with sweetish rootscatchweed, cleavers, clivers, Galium aparine, goose grass, spring cleavers - annual having the stem beset with curved prickles; North America and Europe and Asiafalse 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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