556 



Cuscuta Trifolii (Dodder). Indigenous to Europe and tem- 

 perate Asia. A leafless annual parasitic on lucerne and clover. 

 This remarkable plant sends its reddish or whitish silk-like filiform 

 stems up the host plant and ultimately completely covers it. It 

 supports itself by developing small warts near the nodes of the 

 stem, and by means of these it also depletes its host. The flowers 

 are developed at the nodes and form small headlets. The parasite 

 is very destructive to the fodder plants mentioned, and besides is 

 aggressive to hops and nettles. When buying clover or lucerne 

 seed care should be taken not to have dodder seed mixed with 

 them. 



Datura stramonium (Thorn apple ; mad apple ; devil's apple ; 

 devil's trumpet ; stinkweed. In some ports of North America known 

 as " Jimson weed," a corruption of Jamestown \veed. T. W. Kirk). 

 Indigenous to Western Asia and Europe. It is a common tradi- 

 tion in Europe that the gipsies introduced this plant for clandestine 

 purposes. A succulent tall annual, with bright leaves and hand- 

 some flowers ; height up to four feet, with a strong irregularly 

 branching stem ; leaves, dark-green above and paler below, irregu- 

 larly and sometimes deeply cut, and attached by slender stalks ; 

 flower white, tubular, and five-lobed ; fruit sometimes over an inch 

 long and three-quarters in diameter, green, egg-shaped, covered 

 with cone-like prickles ; when ripe, the fruit splits in four parts 

 and exposes the closely-set dark-brown seeds bedded upon the 

 central pulp. The plant produces a nauseous smell when bruised. 

 It is poisonous, and, although its odour is offensive, it is some- 

 times eaten by cattle in times of dearth. Mr. P. R. Gordon, 

 Chief Inspector of Stock, Queensland, reported a number of in- 

 stances where cattle have been poisoned by this weed. The 

 alkaloid daturia extracted from this plant is a powerful poison, but 

 also a valuable medicine against several diseases. 



Datura lalula (Blue flowering thorn apple). This plant differs 

 mainly from the above in producing blue or violet-blue flowers. It 

 is frequently cultivated as a garden plant. Both species of the thorn 

 apple seem to spread readily when once they are introduced. 

 Probably no plants range over a greater area on the face of the 

 earth. The seeds are heavy and do not possess organs for self- 

 distribution ; it can scarcely be doubted, however, that birds are the 

 means of disseminating them, although I have never observed any 

 to eat these poisonous grains. This plant is considered to possess 

 stronger toxic qualities than the common stramonium. 



Xicotiiiiui gldiit'ti (Tree tobacco). Indigenous to South America. 

 Attaining sometimes a height of over 20 feeet with a stem of over 

 six feet in diameter. A rapid grower, and used on this account as 

 a shelter plant. Leaves stalked, fleshy, smooth, ovate heart-shaped, 

 covered with a whitish bloom, the larger upwards of six inches long 

 and three inches wide, much smaller towards the tips of the 



