couch grass

couch grass
/kowch, koohch/
any of various grasses, esp. Agropyron repens, known chiefly as troublesome weeds and characterized by creeping rootstocks that spread rapidly. Also called quitch.
[1570-80; couch, var. of QUITCH]

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Rapidly spreading grass (Agropyron repens) with flat, somewhat hairy leaves and erect flower spikes, native to Europe and introduced into other northern temperate areas for forage or erosion control.

In cultivated land, it is considered a weed because of its persistence. Its long, yellowish-white rhizomes must be completely dug up to eradicate the plant because broken rhizomes generate new plants. Couch 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:

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

  • couch grass — n QUACK GRASS * * * the perennial grass Agropyrum repens; its long roots are diuretic, demulcent, and antitussive and have been used to treat cystitis …   Medical dictionary

  • couch grass — n. [var. of QUITCH] a European perennial grass (Agropyron repens) that spreads rapidly by its underground stems and is a troublesome weed in North America; quack grass …   English World dictionary

  • couch grass — couch′ grass [[t]kaʊtʃ, kutʃ[/t]] n. pln any of various grasses that have rapidly spreading underground stems and are troublesome weeds Also called quitch • Etymology: 1570–80; couch, var. of quitch …   From formal English to slang

  • couch-grass — see couch n.2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • couch-grass — 1570s; the first element is a corruption of O.E. cwice (see QUICK (Cf. quick)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • couch 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

  • couch 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)

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

  • couch-grass — n. Knot grass, dog s grass, wheat grass, witch grass, dog wheat, twitch grass (Triticum repens) …   New dictionary of synonyms

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