milkwort

views updated May 23 2018

milk·wort / ˈmilkˌwərt; -ˌwôrt/ • n. a small plant (genus Polygala, family Polygalaceae) that was formerly believed to increase the milk yield of cows and nursing mothers. Its tiny flowers, which may be white, pink, yellow-orange, blue, or greenish, usually appear in cloverlike heads.