[f. KNOT sb.1 + GRASS: from the knotted stem.]
1. The plant Polygonum aviculare, a common weed in waste ground, with numerous intricately branched creeping stems, and small pale pink flowers; an infusion of it was formerly supposed to stunt the growth. Called by early herbalists † Male K. Also extended to other species of Polygonum, as Seaside K., P. maritimum; Virginian K., P. virginianum, etc.
[a. 1500. Gl. Sloane, 5 (Sax. Leechd. III. 319/1), Knotting grass.]
1538. Turner, Libellus, Poligonon,… knotgyrs.
1544. Phaër, Regim. Lyfe (1553), C vij. It is good for the paciente to drinke the iuice of knotgrasse.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 329. You dwarfe You minimus, of hindring knot-grasse made.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. clxi. § 1. 451. The common male knot grasse creepeth along vpon the ground, with long slender weake branches, full of knots or ioints, whereof it tooke his name.
a. 1706. Evelyn, Kal. Hort., Jan. (1729), 189. Knot-grass, the very worst of Garden-weeds.
1860. O. W. Holmes, Prof. Breakf.-t., x. (Paterson), 212. The wiry, jointed stems of that iron creeping-plant which we call ‘knot-grass.’
2. Applied to various other plants with knotty stems, etc.
a. Various grasses, as the Fiorin Grass or Marsh Bent (Agrostis stolonifera or alba) with creeping rooting stems, and the varieties with knotty rootstock of the False Oat (Arrhenatherum avenaceum) and a species of Oat-grass (Avena elatior). b. Any species of the genera Illecebrum or Paronychia. † c. Female K., Lyte’s name for Mare’s-tail (Hippuris vulgaris). d. German K., name for Knawel (Scleranthus annuus).
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. lxvii. 97. Of Knotgrasse…. There be two kindes … The second kinde whiche they call female Knot grasse, hath … stemmes … much like to the stalkes and ioyntes of Hippuris, or Horse tayle, but not so rough…. Amongst the kindes of Knot grasse, we may well recken that herbe, whiche doth so wrap and enterlace itself, and is so ful of ioynts, that the base Almaignes cal it knawel, that is to say, knot weede.
1634. Milton, Comus, 542. The chewing flocks Had ta’n their supper on the savoury Herb Of Knot-grass dew-besprent.
1744–50. W. Ellis, Mod. Husbandm., IV. I. 53 (E. D. S.). Avena elatior, knot or couch grass.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 306. Knot Grass, Mountain, Illecebrum.
1787. trans. Linnæus’ Fam. Plants, I. 304. Scleranthus … German Knot-grass.
1806. J. Galpine, Brit. Bot., § 109. Illecebrum. Knot-grass. 1. verticillatum … whorled.
1808. Batchelor, Agric. Bedfordsh., 324. The creeping bent-grass (agrostis stolonifera) … the same, I believe, as that called knot-grass in this county.
3. attrib. knot-grass moth, Acronycta rumicis.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Cl. Vindic. (1677), 104. He is much of the size of those Knot-grass Professors.
1819. G. Samouelle, Entomol. Compend., 250. Commono knot-grass [moth].
1869. Newman, Brit. Moths, 255–6. The Knot-Grass.—The antennæ are simple in both sexes…. It feeds on the common knot-grass.
