What is "cudweed"

Cudweed \Cud"weed`\ (k?d"w?d`), n. [Apparently fr. cud + weed, but perh. a corruption of cottonweed; or of cut weed, so called from its use as an application to cuts and chafings.] (Bot.) A small composite plant with cottony or silky stem and leaves, primarily a species of Gnaphalium, but the name is now given to many plants of different genera, as Filago, Antennaria, etc.; cottonweed.

n. Any of the flowering plants of the genus ''Gnaphalium'' or (taxlink Pseudognaphalium genus noshow=1), related to the daisy.

1. n. any of numerous plants of the genus Gnaphalium having flowers that can be dried without loss of form or color

2. any plant of the genus Filago having capitate clusters of small woolly flower heads [syn: cotton rose, filago]

3. perennial cottony-white herb of southwestern United States [syn: western mugwort, white sage, prairie sage, Artemisia ludoviciana, Artemisia gnaphalodes]

Cudweed is a common name for several plants in the Asteraceae family, and may refer to:

• Gamochaeta, a plant genus with species in North and South America
• Gnaphalium, a plant genus with species in Eurasia and the Americas
• Filago, a plant genus in Eurasia and North America
• Pseudognaphalium, a plant genus native to North America
• Euchiton, a plant genus native to Australasia and the Pacific
• Helichrysum, a plant genus occurring in Africa, Australasia and Eurasia. (e.g. Helichrysum luteoalbum, common name 'Woody cudweed')