04 THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Hypericum bacciferum and II. cayenense are stated by Simmonds to yield 

 a gamboge. The power of expelling the demon of hypochondriasis and of 

 acting as a charm against witchcraft was formerly attributed to the St. 

 John's Wort of Europe. According to Stowe, it was always suspended over 

 the doorway on the vigil of the saint, with herbs of like fancied power, and 

 in the Pyrenees it is said to be still so used. The holes in the leaves were 

 said to be made by the witches out of spite to its, to them, inconvenient 

 virtues. Nor is this the only Hypericum viewed with superstitious awe since 

 antiquity. The old Greeks used a "Hypericon," which is believed by some 

 to be Hypericum crispum, by others H. liarbatum or H. em petri folium. They 

 used also an "Androsaemon," perhaps H. ciliatum or H. hircinum, or 

 " Koris " (H. Coris) and " Askyron " (II. Androscemum), a " Dionysius ' r 

 (H. androsaemori], but it is doubtful whether all these names are referred to 

 the precise species. 



How to get rid of it. The best way to get rid of this plant is to pull it up 

 or dig it up before it seeds. I am quite aware that it has taken possession of 

 large areas; this is all the more reason why it should be combated whenever 

 it makes its appearance in new ground. The pulling up can be postponed 

 until the plant is in flower, if need be, but it should always be borne in mind 

 that it is a very free seeder. 



Where Found. It is found in the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. 

 It is a troublesome weed in many parts of the United States. It was no 

 doubt introduced here as an ornamental plant, and has shown wonderful 

 colonising powers. It is a pretty little plant, and hence may be tolerated on 

 that account until it makes its insidious hold firmly felt. Baron von Mueller 

 first published the name of this weed in a list of Victorian weeds in the 

 Victorian Naturalist for December, 1893. After a visit to Bright, in Vic- 

 toria, where the weed has taken possession of enormous areas, I published a 

 note in the Victorian Naturalist for July, 1900, p. 44. In the Agricultural 

 Gazette for October, 1901, p. 1202, I formally recorded this weed for New 

 South Wales from districts so far apart as Albury and Mudgee. Since then 

 I have received it from scattered localities, and unless steps are taken to 

 check it, it promises to be one of our worst pests. 



The following list of shires and municipalities in which this pest has 

 been proclaimed is already formidable, and has been furnished by the Local 

 Government Department, 1919 : 



SHIRES. 



Abercroinbie Dalgety Jeinalong Rylstone 



Adjungbilly Demoudrille Jindalee Tumbarumba 



Blaxland Gadara Kyeamba (Mitchell). 



Coreen Hastings Mitchell Waugoola 



Crookwell Holbrook Mulwaree Yanko 



Culcairn Illabo Narraburra 



MUNICIPALITIES. 



Albury Corowa Junee Wagga Wagga. 



Cootarnundra Cudgegong Tumut 



Blue Weed or Paterson's Curse (Echium plantagineum L.). 



(BORKAGINACE.E ; Borage Family). 



Botanical Name. Echium, from the Greek Ecliis, a viper; but, says 

 Hooker, of disputed application. Plants of this genus are called in England 

 "Bugloss or Viper's Bugloss"; plantagineum, from a resemblance of the 

 leaves to those of the Lamb's Lettuce (Plantago}. 



