Meaning of poverty-weed in English:
poverty-weed
noun
dialect1British Field cow wheat, Melampyrum arvense, formerly a serious weed in parts of the Isle of Wight (now historical).
2US Any of various plants that grow as weeds on poor soil, chiefly of the family Asteraceae, especially the marsh elder, Iva axillaris.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in James Halliwell (1820–1889), antiquary and literary scholar.
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