CoLENSO. — On Two Peculiar South Avicrkan Plants. 331 



valued as a forage-plant in some of those Southern States, 

 and this relation will also, I think, surprise many of our 

 settlers. 



3. Erodium cicuTARiUM = Alfilaria (in America), Hemlock- 

 leaved Heron's-bill (commonly called a Geranium). 



This plant is one of the commonest of our British intro- 

 duced weeds, being found everywhere, even in the streets and 

 roads of Napier, and, being perennial and a quick grower, 

 lining the kerbs and the bases of houses. No doubt it is v.'ell 

 known. 



It shows itself of very different sizes. Sometimes its leaves 

 are only 2in. or so long, and sometimes 8in.-9in., but all alike ; 

 at first radiate and symmetrical from its root-stock, flat on 

 the ground, it often presents a very neat and striking ap- 

 pearance. 



In my own grass-paddocks and pathways it has long been 

 very common ; and at first, while I could not but admire its 

 graceful form, I feared it would prove to be another unwelcome 

 imported weed ; but I have found horses to feed well on it, in- 

 termixed with grasses and clovers. So that from observation 

 I have concluded that not only this but other foreign plants 

 (commonly called "weeds" by us) are really of more service 

 to stock generally than we are aware of, when growing to- 

 gether with grasses and clovers ; and, indeed, are naturally 

 better adapted to keep them in health than when fed on rye- 

 grass and clovers alone. Notwithstanding, I was surprised to 

 find this plant {Erodium cicutarium) so highly valued as a 

 forage-plant in the Southern States of America. As before, I 

 give a few quotations respecting it : — 



" It occurs abundantly, and is of much value for pasture, 

 over a large extent of territory in Northern California and ad- 

 joining regions. A few have begun its artificial propagation, 

 and it is undoubtedly worthy of introduction into other regions 

 in the south and west having prolonged droughts. — [Loc. 

 cit., p. 34.) 



Professor E. W. Hilgard, in the report of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of California, says, — 



"Two species of crane's-bill {Erodium cicutarium and mos- 

 chatum) are even more common here than in Southern 

 Europe, and the first-named is esteemed as one of the most 

 important natural pastm-e-plants, being about the only green 

 thing available to stock throughout the dry season, and eagerly 

 cropped by them at all times. Its Spanish name of Alfilerilla 

 (signifying a pin, and now frequently translated into ' pin- 

 weed ') shows that it is an old citizen, even if possibly a 

 naturalised one." 



