quack grass

quack grass
Inland North and North Midland U.S.
a couch grass, Agropyron repens, a pernicious weed in cultivated fields.
[1810-20]

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plant
also called  couch grass , or  quick grass (Agropyron repens) 

      rapidly spreading grass of the family Poaceae. It has flat, somewhat hairy leaves and erect flower spikes; the plant may grow from 30 to 100 cm (about 12 to 40 inches) high. It is native to Europe and has been introduced into other north temperate areas for forage or erosion control. In cultivated land, it is considered a weed because of its persistence.

      Quack grass has long, yellowish-white rhizomes, which must be completely dug up to eradicate the plant because broken rhizomes generate new plants. Quack grass has been used in various home remedies in Europe, and the rhizomes have been eaten during periods of famine.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Quack grass — (Bot.) See {Quitch grass}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quack grass — n a European grass of the genus Agropyron (A. repens) that is naturalized throughout No. America and has roots and rhizome with diuretic properties called also couch grass, quitch, twitch …   Medical dictionary

  • quack grass — ☆ quack grass n. [var. of QUICK GRASS] COUCH GRASS …   English World dictionary

  • quack grass — noun European grass spreading rapidly by creeping rhizomes; naturalized in North America as a weed • Syn: ↑dog grass, ↑couch grass, ↑quackgrass, ↑quick grass, ↑witch grass, ↑witchgrass, ↑Agropyron repens …   Useful english dictionary

  • quack grass — Quitch grass Quitch grass (kw[i^]ch gr[.a]s ). [Properly quick grass, being probably so called from its vigorous growth, or from its tenacity of life. See {Quick}, and cf. {Couch grass}.] (Bot.) A perennial grass ({Agropyrum repens}) having long… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quack grass — paprastasis varputis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių šeimos pašarinis, prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Elytrigia repens), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, Europoje ir Azijoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai). atitikmenys: lot …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • quack grass — noun Etymology: alteration of quick (grass), alteration of quitch (grass) Date: circa 1818 a European grass (Elytrigia repens syn. Agropyron repens) that is naturalized throughout North America and spreads by creeping rhizomes called also couch… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • quack grass — /ˈkwæk gras/ (say kwak grahs) noun → couch2. {variant of quitch grass} …  

  • quack grass — noun North American term for couch2. Origin C19: var. of quick, northern form of quitch …   English new terms dictionary

  • grass — grassless, adj. grasslike, adj. grassward, grasswards, adv. adj. /gras, grahs/, n. 1. any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains. Cf. grass family. 2. such plants collectively, as when… …   Universalium

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