prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (words are sexy)
prettygoodword ([personal profile] prettygoodword) wrote2015-08-31 07:47 am

knapweed

knapweed (NAP-weed) - n., any of several species of common weeds of the genus Centaurea with small, thistle-like flowers.


Not all Centaurea are knapweeds, but all knapweeds are Centaurea -- the knapweeds have purple flowers (this may be the distinguishing feature?). In late Middle English, they were called knopweeds, where knop is an alternate form of knob, referring to the knobby head of the flower.

---L.