72 FARM WEEDS OP CANADA 



COW COCKLE (Saponaria Vaccaria L.). 



Other English names: Cowherb, China Cockle. 



Other Latin names: Vaccaria Vaccaria (L.) Britton; Vacca- 

 ria vulgaris Host. 



Introduced from southern Europe. Annual. Stem simple, 

 branching above or much branched from the base, 1 to 2 feet. 

 The whole plant is smooth, succulent and of a grayish-green ap- 

 pearance, like the leaves of a cabbage. Leaves ovate-lance- 

 shaped, clasping the stem. Flowers pale rose-pink, 1/2 inch across, 

 in loose corymb-like cymes. Calyx ovate, 5-ribbed and much 

 inflated, winged and angled in fruit. The smooth roundish 

 fruit capsules contain about 20 seeds each. 



The seed (Plate 73, fig. 23), is round, hard, dull black, 

 about 1/12 inch in diameter, and is often confounded with 

 the seeds of wild vetches. It can be distinguished from vetch 

 seeds of a similar size by its minutely roughened surface, or by 

 cutting it open after soaking, when the germ, which lies in a 

 circle around the seed just beneath the seed-coat, will be seen. 

 It in no way resembles the inside of a vetch or pea, which, when 

 the seed-coat is removed after soaking, can be easily separated 

 into similar halves. 



Time of flowering: July; seeds ripe in August. 

 Propagation: By seeds only. 



Occurrence: As a troublesome weed, only in the Prairie 

 Provinces. 



Injury: A pestiferous weed in grain crops in the Prairie 

 Provinces. The succulent plants rob the crop of moisture. 

 Being a vigorous grower, the large branched top occupies much 

 space and crowds out the grain. The seeds are a common im- 

 purity in commercial wheat and are almost as objectionable to 

 the miller and baker as are those of Purple Cockle. 



