Weeds op South Africa. 



315 



WEEDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



By K. A. Lansdell, Botanical Assistant, Division of Botany, 



Pretoria. 



The occurrence of noxious weeds has assumed an economic aspect in 

 South Africa, a country of vast expanse, and the problem of their 

 control is engaging serious attention. 



South Africa has enormous agricultural wealth, and Government, 

 stockowners, and farmers are striving after greater production. In 

 the endeavour to produce greater crops there is a danger of pasturage 



GROUND LEVEL 



.-.i;r£ 



MULE 



QOTYLtDONS WITHIN 

 SEED COAT 



Fig. 1. -Seedling of "Malta Thistle"' 

 {Centaurea melitensis) with 

 epigean germination. 



Fig. 2. — Seedling of Pea with hypogean 

 germination. 



and wool being destroyed by the gi^owth of weeds, and during the last 

 ten years the appearance, growth, and spread of noxious weeds has 

 increased considerably. It is partially through the lack of knowledge 

 and literature on South African weeds that the noxious weeds problem 

 in the Union has become so serious. Every farmer should be able 

 to distinguish the noxious weeds on his farm so that he may be in a 

 position to cope with the danger. The present work has been prepared 

 with this end in view, and is intended for the use of the farmer, 

 the student, and the general public. The illustrations have been 

 prepared solely from the noxious weeds found in South Africa. 



