131 



StJBSERES TN CULTIVATED OR WASTE LAND. RuDERAL SPECIES. 



These result from man's interference and are very wide- 

 spread, occurring not only in all cultivated land, but also 

 along roadsides and along the railway tracks, and in waste 

 land generally. The first stage is represented by numerous 

 weeds of cultivation, mixed with grasses. The weeds are of 

 considerable interest to the farmer, and, therefore, a fuller 

 list is given than was thought necessary in the case of plants 

 belono-ing' to the other seres. Many of the weeds are exotics. 

 The following occur chiefly in Natal. The other parts, I have 

 not had an opportunity of observing in detail. 



The Compositae are again best represented, including 

 Bidens pilosa (the Black jack), Erigeron canadense, Tagetes 

 minuta (Khaki weed), XantJiium occidentale, X. spinosum, 

 X. italicum, Zinnia pauciflora, Siegesbeclia orientalis, Galin- 

 soga parviflora, Schkuria bonariensis, Acanthospermum 

 btazilum, Centaurea solstitialis, C. melitensis, C. caliitrapa, 

 Age rat urn conyzoides, Tridax procumbens, Eclipta erecta, 

 ■Crepis japonica, Lactuca capensis, Spilanthes africana, 

 Sonchus oleraceaus, Cnicus lanceolatus, Chrysocoma tenui- 

 folia, Helichrysum foeiidum, Oligocarpus calendulaceus . 



The next most important family is probably the Solana- 

 ceae, which includes Solatium nigrum, the berries of which 

 are eaten, Solarium sodomaeum (Devil's apples), Physalis 

 peruviana (Cape Gooseberry), Nicandra physaloides, Datura 

 stramonium (Stinkblaar). All of them common and wide- 

 spread. 



Species of Malvaceae are also common, including 

 Hibiscus trionum, H. cannabinas, H. physaloides, Abutilon 

 indicum, Sida longipes, S. rhombifolia, Malva parviflora. 

 Some of these are possibly useful sources of fibre. 



There are numerous Labiatae, e.g., Ocimum obtusifolium, 

 Hyptis pectinata, Leucas martinicensis, Teucrium capense, 

 T. riparium, Ajuga ophrydis, and more than one Plec- 

 tra nth us. 



The Scropulariaceae include Diclis reptans and the very 

 troublesome witchweed Striga lutea, which is parasitic on 

 the roots of the mealie, and often does a great amount of 

 damage. 



It is rather surprising to find the Leguminoseae, which 

 .are so abundant in the Veld, poorly represented by only one 

 •or two species, e.g., Vicia sativa, Melilotus officinalis. 



