THE MINT FAMILY 131 



reddish brown, roundly oval, a little flattened on the inner face, 

 which at one end has a conspicuous basal scar with two well 

 defined, white, eye-like cavities. 



American Dragon Head (Dracocephalum parviflorum Nutt.), 

 a native annual or biennial, with seeds (Plate 75, fig. 63) much 

 like those of Hedge Nettle, but longer (1/8-inch) and narrower, 

 being twice as long as wide, more angular and somewhat winged 

 and wrinkled along the angles near the apex. The basal scar 

 is large and curved, with a slit in the middle, giving it the appear- 

 ance of a mouth ; whole seed dark brown, the outer convex face 

 distinctly ridged lengthwise and granular-roughened. 



Heal-all or Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris L.), native, perennial 

 by runners. The seed (Plate 75, fig. 64) is about 1/16 of an 

 inch long, brown, slightly glazed, longitudinally striped, egg- 

 shaped, sharp-pointed at the base, which bears a white, heart- 

 shaped scar with a deep depression in the centre. Commonly 

 found in timothy and other grass seeds. 



Everything that grows without being sown or planted, among a Crop that has been 

 sown or planted, is in that Place a Weed. The whole Benefit of the Tillage was intended 

 for the Crop, and this robs it of a Part. 



Thomas Hale, The Compleat Body of Husbandry, 1756. 



The whole land 



Is full of weeds; her fairest flowers choked up, 

 Her fruit trees all unprun'd, her hedges ruin'd, 

 Her knots disorder'd, and her wholesome herbs 

 Swarming with caterpillars. 



Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III, Sc. iv, 1593. 



The Blue Withiwinde hath slender branches and small, by which it climbeth up, 

 and wrappeth or windeth it selfe about trees or poles. The leaves be large and corner'd, 

 lyke to the olde leaves of Ivye, saving that they be not so hard. The flowers are fashioned 

 like belles, blewe and hollowe, the seed is black, and almost three square, lying in knoppes 

 and huskes, after the same manner as the seede of the white Binde weede. 



Lyte, 1578. 



