549 



petals is greyish underneath. A very prolific seeder. The seeds 

 hcmi; surrounded with a wooly HulT are readily disturbed by wind. 

 In many places a marked variety is common, and often inund 

 growing together with the typical plant. This variety is charac- 

 terised by its more slender leaves, which have the lobes irregularly 

 and deeply incised, and are of a darker green above and a less 

 intense white below. The linear markings on the underside of the 

 stems are less white also, and become indistinct towards the tips. 

 This weed must be considered one of the most aggressive intro- 

 ductions. It appears to grow more luxuriant within the region of 

 winter rains in Western Australia than in any part of the other 

 colonies. In cultivated ground I have seen it produce central 

 stems (quite an abnormal characteristic) of over two feet, and some 

 of these, when lying down, develop roots from every node. During 

 late years this weed has spread at an alarming rate, and at present 

 the greater number of orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and many 

 nelcls as well, are infested with it." To some extent this is un- 

 doubtedly due to gross carelessness and the pernicious habit of 

 using it for packing, as adopted by some nurserymen. The 

 succulent weed is well adapted to keep the trees, vines, &c., in 

 excellent condition whilst these are in transit, but it is a 

 deliberate method of distributing a noxious plant far and 

 wide, which should not be tolerated. Although the moist 

 coastal climate seems to be specially favorable to its develop- 

 ment, it nevertheless is certain to spread into the drier 

 portions unless great precautions are taken to limit its distribution. 

 Having met with the plant n^self in the arid parts along the Darling 

 River in New South Wales, and there found it to flourish, proves 

 that it will not be seriously affected by heat and the absence of rain. 

 Wherever the plant establishes itself it suppresses all other pasture 

 herbage. In New South Wales I have observed it to cover large 

 stretches of country, which, when fresh and green and bearing thou- 

 sands of yellow flowers, looked attractive. But when, after prolonged 

 dry weather, the plants had died and shrivelled to insignificant 

 vestiges, the ground was bald of all native vegetation. Sheep feed 

 upon the plant to a moderate extent, pigs eat it, and cattle do not 

 altogether despise it, and under stress eat it freely, but it imparts an 

 objctionable flavour to the milk. Still, as it possesses scarcely any 

 nutritious qualities, they soon get tired of it, and will, as a rule, not 

 touch it if other herbage is present. In pasture land it becomes even 

 more objectionable than in cultivated ground, wherein, by per- 

 severance, it may be suppressed. After being apparently killed by 

 prolonged dry weather, it springs up again alter the first shower of 

 rain, in some instances even from the old roots, but principally from 

 the abundantly produced seeds, which rapidly germinate on being 

 moistened, and grow faster than most other plants. 



Graphalinm Intco-albiuii (Jersey cudweed). Indigenous to the 

 greater part of the temperate world. An annual or biennial from 



