38 LIVING PLANTS 



meantime look almost like 3'oung, unopened 

 buds. This deceptive appearance ma\^ lead 

 the cultivator to think he is cutting the weed 

 in the bud before it has blossomed, when in 

 reality it is loaded with young seeds, which 

 will ripen as the plant dies, and be discharged 

 to start another crop, almost as effectively as 

 if the plant had been left standing. 



The plant finds protection from herbivorous 

 animals and boring insects through its bitter 

 milky juice. For although like the garden 

 lettuce, it is tender and palatable when young, 

 it becomes exceedingly disagreeable to the 

 taste after the flower stalks start up. 



The prickles also, although weak and not 

 very abundant, have a protective value to the 

 plant by restraining animals from eating it. 



Although the plant, by its milky and bitter 

 How to be juice, and by its prickles, renders itself dis- 



a successful tasteful and unattractive as food for animals, 



and by prodigality of seeds, with their ample 

 means for distribution and self-protection, in- 

 sures a rapid and wide dissemination, thereby 

 securing great advantages as a dominant and 

 ever-present member of every area of vegeta- 

 tion, 3^et it is the possessor of another attri- 

 bute belonging to a successful weed of even 

 more importance, and that is its ability to 

 grow and seed w^hatever the character of the 

 soil and surroundings. Stone heaps, weed- 



weed 



