172 



WEEDS OF THE FARM AND GARDEN 



perfect, three-bracted, in nearly obovate spikes, calyx 

 tubular, five-cleft, utricle indehiscent. Common in sandy 

 soil, where it is sometimes a very troublesome weed ; from 

 southern Minnesota and Wisconsin to Nebraska and 

 southward. 



Pokeweed Family (Phytolaccaceae). Generally herbs, 

 a few of the tropical trees or shrubs with alternate entire 

 leaves without stipules, perfect, regular, polygamous or 

 monoecious flowers ; calyx petal-like of four or five sepals 

 or four to five-parted ; stamens five to thirty alternate, 

 with the segments of the calyx or sepals 

 of the same number or more numer- 

 ous ; ovary several-celled ; ovules sol- 

 itary. 



Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra, 

 L.). A tall, stout, smooth perennial 

 with an unpleasant odor, six to nine 

 feet high ; root large ; leaves large 

 petioled ; flowers in terminal racemes ; 

 flowers of five rounded petal-like 

 sepals ; fruit a berry filled with a dark 

 crimson juice. From New England 

 states to Illinois and Texas. The 

 large root of the plant poisonous. 

 Four O'clock Family (Nyctaginaceae). Herbs or some 

 tropical trees or shrubs; leaves generally opposite and 

 entire, swollen joints; flowers regular in clusters, fre- 

 quently subtended by an involucre ; petals none, calyx in- 

 ferior, corolla-like, tubular, four to five-lobed or four to 

 five-toothed ; stamens free, anthers two-celled ; ovary one- 

 celled and one-seeded, forming a kind of nut; embryo 

 coiled around the mealy endosperm ; cotyledons large ; in 

 Abronia, by abortion, a single cotyledon. 



Wild Four O'clock or Umbrella Plant (Oxybaphus 

 nyctagineus (Michx.) Sweet.)- A nearly smooth peren- 

 nial with thick roots, repeatedly forked ; leaves petioled, 



Fig. 106. Prostrate 

 pigweed (Amaranthus 

 blitoides). 



