Forms: 1 wudu-, wuderofe, -rife, 3 wuderoue, 4 woderowe, 4–5 -rove, 5 -rofe, wodrove, -roffe, -ruffe, 5–6 -rofe, 6 woodroue, -rowe, -rofe, -roof(f)e, 7 -rof, -rough, 7– -roof, (8 -rooff), 9 woodruff, (Sc. -riff, arch. wooderoofe, wood-ruffe). [OE. wudurofe, f. wudu WOOD sb.1 + *rofe, *rife, of unknown meaning.] A low-growing herb (Asperula odorata, N.O. Rubiaceæ) found in woods in Britain and Europe generally, with clusters of small white flowers, and strongly sweet-scented leaves in whorls; also descriptively or distinctively called sweet woodruff. Also attrib.

1

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., I. 18. Herba astula regia þæt is wudu rofe. Ibid., II. 64. Wiþ þære winestran sidan sare wudurifan ʓecnuwa on eced.

2

c. 1265.  Voc. Plants, in Wr.-Wülcker, 558/10. Hastula regia, i. muge de bois, i. wuderoue.

3

a. 1310.  in Wright, Lyric P., xiii. 43. A-way is huere wynter wo, when woderove springeth.

4

a. 1400.  Stockholm Med. MS., 191. Woderowe, hastilogia.

5

14[?].  in Wr.-Wülcker, 566/20. Astula regia, woderofe.

6

1477–9.  Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 81. Rose-garlondis and wodrove-garlondis.

7

1525.  Grete Herbal, xli. (1529), C iv. De astula regia. Woodroue.

8

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. ccccxlvii. 966. In English Woodrooffe, Woodrowe, and Woodrowell.

9

1785.  Martyn, Lett. Bot., xv. (1794), 164. Sherardia and woodroof have funnel-shaped corollas.

10

1824.  Hogg, Tales & Sk., Priv. Mem. Fanatic (1837), V. 83. Murder will out, though the Almighty should lend hearing to the ears of the willow, and speech to the seven tongues of the woodriff.

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1872.  Black, Adv. Phaeton, xix. 263. As a bunch of woodruff will sweeten a lumber-room.

12

  b.  Extended to other species of Asperula.

13

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. ccccxlvii. 965. There is another sort of Woodrooffe called Asperula Cærulea, or blew Woodrooffe.

14

1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, II. 98/2. Woodroof…. Some have blew, others purple coloured flowers.

15

1841.  Catlin, N. Amer. Ind., II. App. A. 260. Woodroof, a species of madder used as a red dye.

16

1865.  Sowerby’s Engl. Bot. (ed. 3), IV. 231. Asperula Arvensis.… Blue Field Woodruff.

17

1866.  Treas. Bot., 1236. Woodroof, or Woodruff…, Quinsy, Asperula cynanchica.

18