114 I'LOWl'.RS Ol. 'I-HI'. CORMIJJ.DS 



puce, calyx -lolx'S longer than the cnrolla, down), pc-tals ciuirc, not 

 crow lU'cl, capsule with lar^c hartl seeds. 



Spurrey (Speri;ula ar\ciisis, L.) 



Seeds oi Spurrey ha\c heen touiul near J'.dinliur^li in heds of 

 Neolidiic age. h is lound lo-day in the Xorlhern Temperate and 

 Arctic Zones, in Arctic Juirope, North Africa. West Asia to N.W. 

 Asia, and has been introduced into North .\nierica. .Spurre\- is found 

 in every part of Great Britain, and ascends to a heii^ln of looo ft. 



it is onc' of the usual weeds of cultiN'ation as.sociated with crops, 

 and is seldom hunul tar awa\' from cornfields, where it is e.xtremeh' 

 abundant. It a held is allowed to return to seed or to become fallow, 

 Spurrey may establish itself in the more open parts of such flekls and 

 remain for some period. 



The plant is nearl\ erect, with branched stems, which arc; numerous, 

 smooth, clamnu" abo\-e, bent like a knc:e, with swollen joints. The 

 leaves are cylindrical, in whorls, in two rows, the inner shoi-ter, or 

 in opposite pairs with short leaf-buds in the axils, grooved beneath, 

 with small semi-transparent stipules or leaves. A few plants grow- 

 together. 



The flowers are white, arranged in a repeatedly di\'iding stalked 

 cyme, the ultim;;te stalks being turned down in fruit, and clanmiy. 

 The caly.x is spreading, the petals are attached by a short claw, longer 

 than the sepals. There are 5 stamens, fewer, or none. The capsule 

 is nearly round, and protected by the permanent calyx. The seeds 

 are rough, angular, kidney-shaped, with club-shaped warts, black, and 

 bordered with a semi-transparent margin. 



The plant grows to a height of 6 10 in. It is in flower from 

 lune to August. lieing an annual it is reproduced by seeds onl\ . 



The flowers are very small, and as with Corn Buttercup and Gold 

 of Pleasure not adapted specially for insect visits, having no scent. 

 There are numerous [jistils, and styles to the number of 5. 



The seeds of .Spurrey are dispersed by the plant's own mechanism. 

 When ripe the \alved capsule or seed vessel breaks open, and the seeds 

 are dispersed around the parent plant. 



This species is a .sand plant and addicted to a sand soil, being found 

 on a \-ariety of formations, from the older arenaceous to the newer 

 Oolitic and chalky formations. 



It is infested b\- Cvs/opiis /cpi^o)!! and Pucciiiia arcuaricr. A 

 beetle, Cassida iiobi/is, lives upon it. 



