CHARLOCK. 87 



hairs. Our specimen is a young and succulent plant 

 that was grown amongst the sheltering corn ; specimens 

 that have grown in more exposed situations are more 

 solid-looking, partially or wholly red in tint, and covered 

 with hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately on the 

 stalks, are borne on short stems, are thrown boldly out 

 from the plant, and are rough to the touch. The veins 

 are conspicuous, and the margins indented or coarsely 

 serrated. The upper leaves, as may be seen in our illus- 

 tration, are simple in form, while the lower often have one 

 or more lobes at their bases, and present a more irregular 

 outline. The flowers are rather large, the four heart- 

 shaped petals standing boldly out in a cross form. Like 

 all the other cruciferse, the charlock has six stamens, two 

 being shorter than the other four, but as they are simi- 

 lar in colour to the petals they do not attract attention. 

 The calyx, it will be noticed in our figure, is very 

 spreading, and consists of four sepals. The seed-vessels 

 seen in the drawing are at an early stage of their history; 

 when they reach maturity they form rounded pods, some 

 one and a half inches in length, terminating in a pointed 

 beak. The ripening pods are often reddish or purplish 

 in colour, and each contain some six or seven small 

 blackish seeds. Pigeons and other birds are very fond of 

 these. 



Dodonsus discourses about the plant as follows : 

 " Charlocke growethe in all places alongst the wayes, 

 about old walles and ruynous places, and oftentimes in the 

 fieldes, especially those where as turneppes and Nauewes 

 have been sown, so that it shoulde seeme to be a corrupt 

 and evill weede or enimie to the Nauew. This herbe is 

 called of the later writers Rajjistrum, and of some also 



