COMMON CHICKWEED 



probably could not do this in New England, possibly not 

 in New York, but on the southern shore of Lake Erie 

 during those winters that not infrequently occur, when 

 no ice is gathered from the lake, it grows and blooms 

 all winter long in protected places. 



Because of this hardiness its dis- 

 tribution is world-wide. A very 

 striking story to illustrate this is 

 told by Sir Joseph Hooker, who 

 says: "Upon one occasion, landing 

 on a small uninhabited island, 

 nearly at the antipodes, the first 

 evidence I met wdth of its having 

 been previously visited by man was 

 the English Chickweed, and this I 

 traced to a mound that marked 

 the grave of a British sailor, w^hich 

 was covered wdth the plant, doubt- 

 less the offspring of seed that had 

 adhered to the spade with which 

 the grave had been dug." 



The blossom is very small and under a glass ex- 

 tremely pretty. The five sepals form a very perfect 

 star; the petals are curiously two-cleft, making five 

 look like ten, these are rounded at the apex and shorter 

 than the sepals. The stamens are a variable number; 

 when things are going well with the plant there are 

 sure to be five and maybe more, but in late autumn or 

 early winter the pinched little blossom may afford only 

 two. 



The Chickweed is an example of that meekness that 

 inherits the earth. It does what it can, it lives where 

 it must. A blossom usually terminates the stem and 



57 



Common Chickweed. 

 Stelldria media 



