fleabane — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae

   Examples

   On a sunny September morning, with the trees still green, but the asters and fleabanes already taking over in ditch and dalk, Van set out for Ladoga, N.A.

   “I will bewitch them with flea-bane, blister them with hog-weed,” he said, vainly looking for a suitable spell.

2. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae in tribe Astereae Conyza spp. (butterweeds or horseweed)

3. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae in tribe Astereae Erigeron spp., especially Erigeron acre (blue fleabane)

4. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae in tribe Inuleae Inula spp. (yellowheads)

5. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae in tribe Inuleae Pluchea spp. (camphorweeds)

6. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: mostly in two tribes of subfamily Asteroideae in tribe Inuleae Pulicaria spp. (false fleabane), especially common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica subsp. dysenterica, formerly Inula dysenterica)

7. Any of various species of flowering plants in certain genera in family Asteraceae, that typically repel insects: Also, in subfamily Cichorioideae, Vernonia spp. (ironweeds).

Noun

1. hairy perennial Eurasian herb with yellow daisylike flowers reputed to destroy or drive away fleas

   Synonyms

   Pulicaria dysentericafleabane mullet

   Broader terms

   herbherbaceous plant

2. any of several North American plants of the genus Erigeron having daisylike flowers; formerly believed to repel fleas

   Broader terms

   wildflowerwild flower

3. common North American weed with linear leaves and small discoid heads of yellowish flowers; widely naturalized throughout temperate regions; sometimes placed in genus Erigeron

   Synonyms

   horseweedCanadian fleabaneConyza canadensisErigeron canadensis

   Broader terms

   weed