108 THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Botanical Name. Carduus (Latin), a thistle, lanceolatus , lance-shape 1, 

 in allusion to the leaves. 



Synonyms. Cirsium or Cnicus lanceolatus L. (old names). 



Popular Description. It would be waste of time to fully describe this 

 plant on the present occasion, but attention may be drawn to the fact that 

 it is usually in this country supposed to be the true Scotch Thistle. The- ! 

 latter, however, differs in being whitish-cottony in appearance, and in other 

 respects. Spear thistle seeds (fruits) are greyish, striped, smooth, andi 

 shining. It is a biennial. 



Botanical Description. 



A rather stout thistle, attaining 3 or 4 feet. Leaves waved, pinnatifid, and: 

 very prickly, rough on the upper side, white and cottony underneath, decurrent 

 into prickly wings along the stem. Flower-heads not numerous, rather large. 

 Involucres ovoid, above an inch long, the bracts lanceolate, ending in a stiff 

 prickle. Florets purple, all tubular. Receptacle with bristles between the 

 florets. Achenes glabrous. Pappus of plumose bristles. 



Uses. " The plant contains the large percentage of 2-44 of nitrogen and 

 5-53 of potash, and will thus pay largely for the little trouble it takes to 

 kill it, if properly composted after cutting." C. F. Millspaugh, Bulletin 

 23, West Virginia Agric. Exp. Station, U.S.A. 



A tea of the root has been used in rural medicine for rheumatism and 

 also for neuralgia in the United States, but I am afraid its medicinal 

 virtues largely exist in the imagination. 



Dr. Withering, an old British botanist, says of this thistle, " Few plants 

 are more disregarded than this, and yet its use is very considerable. If a 

 heap of clay be thrown up, nothing would grow upon it for several years, 

 did not the seeds of this plant, wafted by the wind, fix and vegetate thereon. 

 Under the shelter of this, other vegetables appear, and the whole soon be- 

 comes fertile. The flowers, like those of the artichoke, have the property of 

 curdling milk." 



It is, of course, occasionally eaten by stock in Australia when more 

 tempting food fails. 



VJliat our Farmers and Pastoralists said of it in 1895 : 



Frequents both cultivated and uncultivated land, on which it is rapidly 

 spreading. In order to keep it in check it is sometimes cut while in flower, but 

 before seeding. ( Sassafras. ) 



First made its appearance in 1861. Is spreading rapidly in cultivated lands. 

 On account of the lightness of the seeds, which are carried for miles by the 

 winds it is almost impossible to eradicate. Locally known as Scotch Thistle. 

 (Crookwell.) 



As a rule frequents cultivated land. No steps have been taken for checking 

 or eradicating it. (Queanbeyan.) 



Notwithstanding that considerable sums of money have been expended in 

 endeavouring to eradicate this weed, it still has possession of large areas of the 

 best alluvial land. (Queanbeyan.) 



Introduced into district in hay or chaff, and spread by winds. Mostly fre- 

 quents old camping grounds and alluvial flats along the creeks. Wherever it 

 is allowed to grow unmolested for a lengthened period the native pasture grasses 

 are crowded out. Is relished by stock, even when there is no great scarcity of 

 grass. (Moama.) 



Brought into the district a number of years ago by travelling stock. Is very 

 plentiful, and is spreading -rapidly. (Deniliquin.) 



Will be found growing on almost all old cultivated land ; is a rapid grower, 

 and- is spreading extensively. (Young.) 



Utterly useless. Grows, as a rule, on cultivated and rich lands. (Singleton.) 



