Dec, 1900] Kellerman — Saw Brier. 25 



luxuriance. One can readily see that it is not carelessness on the 

 part of the farmer that suffers half or still larger portions of his 

 fields to be covered with this pestiferous vine. No other weed is 

 seen in the area and therefore he has been diligent and careful in 

 his tillage. The meadows even if twice or thrice mowed in a season 

 will yet contain year to year the same quantity of Saw Brier. The 

 stems spring up quickly, and grow "a foot in a night" the people 

 say; surely the Saw Brier is the freshest plant in the field. In a 

 case specially noticed a garden spot had been put in cultivation in 

 1873, and has been continually and thoroughly cultivated every year 

 since, yet the Saw Brier is there to-day. 



The Underground Parts.— This tenacity of life and luxur- 

 iance of growth can be understood when the underground parts are 

 examined. There are numerous irregular and often large tubers or 

 enlargements which serve as the capacious storeliouse of nourish- 

 ment. They are often of fantastic shape. Various forms are shown 

 in figure 1, plate 4. These occur at irregular intervals on the long 

 and tortuous subterranean stems. It is said that they may be found 

 several feet below the surface, thougli the eight specimens shown on 

 the plate were found at a depth of six to twelve inches. If they all 

 could be removed from the soil the weed would of course be practi- 

 cally annihilated. But when found at a depth of several feet — as 

 seen sometimes in making excavations for foundations, walls, etc. — 

 it is evident that the farmer will have to mal?:e extraordinary and 

 long-continued efforts to destroy this pest. The less courageous may 

 well be appalled in contemplating the herculean task. Fortunately 

 swine are fond of the nutritious tubers, and voraciously devour them 

 when they are given the freedom of the field and allowed to indulge 

 in their natural propensities. Heavy coating of manure and winter 

 plowing are also indicated. 



Variations in the Leaves. — This form is easily recognized 

 among tlie several species of Smilax indigenous to Ohio, though the 

 leaves vary in size and shape to a remarlvable degree. A large num- 

 ber of the common forms are sliown in figure 2, plate 4. They are 

 sometimes very broadly cordate-oval, wider than long; often ovate- 

 cordate, oval or ovate, lance-oval, oblong to oblong-ovate, broadly 

 to narrowly lanceolate and even linear; they are mostly cuspidate 

 at tlie apex, in some cases tapering co acute or sub-acuminate. The 

 base is mostly cordate and subcordate, but occasionally taj)ering- 

 It is seldom that forms api^roaching halberd-shape occur in our 

 region. An inspection of plate 4 will illustrate these several forms. 

 The twig with fruit marked 6, bears a very common form of the leaf 

 as does also the one marked 1. The broad-leaf form is not uncom- 

 mon, but the very broad-leaf as seen in specimens marlted 3 and 5 is 

 of much less frequent occurrence. The very narrow leaves are as a 

 rule borne on short stems — such as have developed in fields and 



