In addition to the Perennial Sowthistle, there are two smaller annual 

 species of Sowthistles found commonly on rich land in all parts of Canada : 

 the Common Sowthistle, Sonchus oleraceus, L., and the Spint Sowthistle, 

 Sonchus asper, L. The flowers of both of these are smaller, about i inch 

 across, pale yellow. The two plants may be easily distinguished by the 

 leaves and by the seeds. In the Common Sowthistle the leaves are more 

 deeply cut and are arrow-shaped at the base, having spreading acute auricles 

 or ear-like projections. The seeds [Plate 54, fig. 23 — natural size and en- 

 larged 8 times] are longitudinally ribbed and have tine cross lines connecting 

 the ribs. In the Spiny Sowthistle the whole plant is more prickly, and the 

 auricles at the base of the leaves, instead of spreading, are appressed to the 

 stem and curve round beneath the leaf. The seeds [Plate 54, fig. 24 — -natural 

 size and enlarged 8 times] are longitudinally ribbed but have no connecting 

 cross lines. The two annual Sowthistles are particularly garden and stub- 

 ble-land weeds. Land ploxighed or cultivated after harvest is seldom in- 

 fested. In gardens hoeing and hand-pulling before the seeds ripen will 

 keep down these annuals. 



THE BORAGE FAMILY, BORRAGINACE^. 



The plants of this family are chiefly rough or bristly-hairy herbs with 

 erect branching stems, simple entire leaves and symmetrical tubular flowers 

 ^ith 5 lobes and a 5-parted calyx. The ovary is solitary and when ripe divides 

 in most species, into four hard one-seeded ntttlets, which contain the true 

 seed and which may be rough or highly polished, downy or armed witli 

 barbed prickles. The basal scars on the nutlets give useful characters in 

 identifying them when found in commercial seeds. The flowers are usually 

 in one-sided racemes that while young are coiled spirally inwards at the 

 tips, but unroll as the flowers open and become nearly straight. The Borage 

 family contains several weeds, as the Hound's-tongue or Common Btir, Cyno- 

 glosaum officinaJe, L., a biennial wayside weed, the reddish purple flowers 

 and barbed nutlets of which are familiar to everyone in Eastern Canada. 

 The burs are very troublesome from getting entangled in the wool of sheep. 



67 



