witchweed

American  

[wich-weed] / ˈwɪtʃˌwid /

noun

1. an Old World parasitic plant of the genus Striga, introduced into the southern U.S.: a serious pest of corn and other grass crops.

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witchweed British  

/ ˈwɪtʃˌwiːd /

noun

1. any of several scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Striga , esp S. hermonthica , that are serious pests of grain crops in parts of Africa and Asia

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Etymology

Origin of witchweed

First recorded in 1900–05; witch + weed ¹

Example Sentences

In sub-Saharan Africa, the invasive witchweed is responsible for annual maize losses amounting to $7bn.

From BBC

Then a graduate student from India took a careful look at the sick corn and recognized among its roots the underground stems of witchweed, which had never before invaded the Western Hemisphere.

From Time Magazine Archive

Witchweed's way of life is one of the strangest in nature.

From Time Magazine Archive

After a month of underground parasitic life, the witchweed makes a partial reform, like a successful mobster who buys a legitimate business and joins the church.

From Time Magazine Archive

Witchweed seeds are invisible when mixed with soil, and they can be carried by farmers' boots, auto tires, shipments of farm products or almost anything else that moves.

From Time Magazine Archive