156 COMMON WEEDS 



in May and June, giving rise later to orange-red oblong 

 berries \ inch in length. In wheat-growing districts it 

 should be cut down and burnt. 



CRUCIFER^: 



Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis L.), known also 

 as Cuckoo Flower or Bitter Cress, is a common, well- 

 known flower of damp meadows and pastures. It is 

 about a foot high, with pinnate leaves ; the conspicuous 

 flowers are about J inch across, lilac in colour, and, like 

 other crucifers, the four petals are arranged in the form 

 of a cross. The flowers appear in April to June. 

 Perennial. 



Should this plant occur in damp land in large 

 quantity, drainage combined with judicious manuring 

 to encourage better herbage will diminish it. 



CARYOPHYLLACE^ 



Ragged Robin (Lychnis Flos-cuculi L.) is a well-known 

 perennial, which flowers in May and June, the rosy 

 blossoms with deeply-cut petals being especially hand- 

 some. It occurs freely in moist pastures and hedgerows 

 and by ditches. 



Bladder Campion (Silene inflata Sm.), Red Campion 

 (Lychnis diurna Sibth.), and White Campion (Lychnis 

 vespertina Sibth.) (see p. 69) also occur in meadows. 



All these plants may be kept within bounds by 

 regular cutting, sound treatment of the meadow land, 

 and keeping hedgerows and ditches properly trimmed. 



Mouse-ear Chickweed (Cerastium triviale Link.) is a 

 frequent and prolific weed of meadows and pastures, 

 and may occur on almost any kind of soil. It has been 

 already stated (p. 69) that this weed was found forty- 



