GROUNDSEL 191 



mm. loii!4'. Honey rises in the tube as tar as tlie throat, and can be 

 readily obtained by short-lipped insects. The flowerheads are small, 

 4 nnn. across, antl are not generally rayed, so that they are not con- 

 spicuous, and few insects save Syritta, Pyrocoris, Halictus, Hcriadcs, 

 visit it. The plant is frequently self-pollinated. Hairs at the tip of 

 the style sweep out the pollen grains, and they lie on the edge of the 

 stigmas and fall on the inner surface when they separate. The plant is 

 self-fertile. But fruit protlucecl by cross-pollination has jjeen shown 

 by Bateson to be more vigorous than that derived from self-fertile 

 plants. 



The fruit is providefl w ith pap})us, and adapted for wind dispersal. 

 The achenes have short, closely-ap[)ressed hairs which secrete runners. 

 It is largely a sand-lo\'ing plant, and addicted chiefly to a sand soil. 



There are two minute fungi which are to be found upon it, 

 Thielavia basico/a and Coleosporiitni seneciouis. The plant is galled 

 by Llrophora uiacriira. The other stage of the second fungus grows 

 on fir trees. A beetle, Lonoitarsiis Iiolsaticiis; 6 Hymenoptera, 

 Colktcs fodicns, C. davicsa7ia, Aiidrcua trideutata, A. dcutii'ii/ata, 

 A^oiimda solidaginis, N. Jacobacw; 4 Lepidoptera, .Siher Y-jNbnh 

 {P/iism iota), P. pulchrina. Lime Speck i^Eiipithccia ccnliircala). 

 Wormwood Pug (/f. absynthiata); a Heteropterous insect, Lopus 

 S7tlcatiis\ and two flies, Titcnca W'cstci-niaiini and Chrouiatoiiivia 

 aibiccps, visit it. 



Sciiccio, Plin)', is from icuex, Latin tor an old man, from its white 

 pappus; and the second name (Latin) refers to its ubiquity. 



(iroundsel is called Bird Seed, Chickenweed, Chinchone, Grinning 

 Swallow, Grinsel, Groundsel, Grunsel, Grundsel, Grunnishule, Sencion, 

 Simson, Swichen. Grinning Swallow is a corruption of groundsel or 

 grunswelge in Scotland, grundiewally, grundiewallow. 



The .Scottish Highlanders use it for the evil eye. Groundsel was 

 said to have been the \'irgin's bed. The [)lant has been used as a 

 charm against ague. In the fifteenth century it was cultivated, and 

 used for various complaints. 



Essp:NTr.\L Specific Cii.a.r.\cters : — 



165. Senccio vnlgaris. Stem erect, branched, glalirous or downy, 

 leaves half-clasping, lobed, dentate, not viscid, flowerheads yellow, in 

 drooping heads, rayless, outer phyllaries short, with black points. 



