goatsbeard

[ gohts-beerd ]

noun

1. any of several composite plants of the genus Tragopogon, especially T. pratensis, having yellow flower heads.
2. a plant, Aruncus dioicus, of the rose family, having pinnate leaves and long, slender spikes of small white flowers.

goatsbeard

/ ˈɡəʊtsˌbɪəd /

noun

1. Also calledJack-go-to-bed-at-noon a Eurasian plant, Tragopogon pratensis, with woolly stems and large heads of yellow rayed flowers surrounded by large green bracts: family Asteraceae (composites)
2. an American rosaceous plant, Aruncus sylvester, with long spikes of small white flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of goatsbeard¹

1570–80; goat + -'s 1 + beard

Example Sentences

Drooping hemlocks, festooned with goatsbeard lichen, keep the spot in cool, somber gloom even on the hottest midday.

From Project Gutenberg

The name “Goatsbeard” refer to the clusters of stiff hairy fruits.

From Project Gutenberg

The flowers of the Goatsbeard have the curious habit of closing at midday, even when the sun is shining.

From Project Gutenberg

The Goatsbeard or Salsify bears large purple flower-heads with yellow centers at the tips of stiff, straight stems, 2-4 ft. tall.

From Project Gutenberg