hawkweed

[ hawk-weed ]

noun

1. any composite plant of the genus Hieracium, usually bearing yellow flowers.
2. any of various related plants.

hawkweed

/ ˈhɔːkˌwiːd /

noun

1. any typically hairy plant of the genus Hieracium, with clusters of dandelion-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

Word History and Origins

Origin of hawkweed¹

1555–65; translation of New Latin, Latin hierācium < Greek hierāk, stem of hiérāx hawk + Latin -ium -ium; weed ¹

Example Sentences

There are lots of hawkweeds in Wales, which reproduce through what Robbie calls "an incredible strategy" of producing a maternal clone of themselves, so they do not need cross pollination.

From BBC

But that was changing: He pointed to butter-and-eggs, oxeye daisies, bellflowers, tufted vetch, hemp nettle, spotted jewelweed, creeping Charlie, common tansy, orange hawkweed.

From New York Times

Nägeli was studying another plant—the yellow-flowering hawkweed—and he urged Mendel to try to reproduce his findings on hawkweed as well.

From Literature

One part had almost no grass at all — just mats of sheep sorrel, hawkweed, plantain and dock.

From Washington Post

Originally from Europe, orange hawkweed has spread across vast tracts of North America, from New York to Alaska, according to a 2010 paper by the U.S.

From Wall Street Journal