Definition of "forb"

forb

noun
plural forbs
1. (chiefly ecology) Any non-woody flowering plant that is not a graminoid (a grass, sedge, or rush).
  Quotations
  So younger is better and the part nearest the roots is better, but what makes life possible for the pronghorn is a supply of forbs—small broadleaf plants growing among the grasses.
  2002, Dale F. Lott, American Bison: A Natural History, page 122
  Buchgraber (1995) recommends 50-70% of grasses, 10-30% of legumes and also 10-30% of forbs on meadows, while Kessler (1994) recommends the same proportion of grasses, 10-20% of legumes and 20-40% of forbs on natural meadows.
  2004, A. Kirilov, P. Todorova Development of forage areas and forage resources in Bulgaria during the period of transition, A. Lüscher, et al. (editors), Land Use Systems in Grassland Dominated Regions: Proceedings of the 20th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, Grassland Science in Europe, Volume 9, page 859
  Common understory forbs included, but were not limited to, large-leaved aster, bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), bluebead lily, species of clubmoss, Canada mayflower, and sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus).
  2009, Mesaba Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement‎, 3.8-3