THE SUNFLOWER FAMILY 169 



Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius L.) and Yellow Goat*s Beard 

 (Tragopogon pratensis L.) are common wayside weeds in the 

 eastern provinces, seldom giving trouble in fields. The former 

 is thought to have escaped from cultivation. They may be 

 distinguished by their grass-like clasping leaves and large, solitary 

 heads of yellow or purple flowers, somewhat similar in general 

 appearance to the dandelions. 



Common Dandelion {Taraxacum officinale Weber) is a 

 well known pest of all long-settled districts. It differs from 

 Fall Dandelion in having long, deep, tapering roots, every 

 part of which, if broken off, will throw out leaves and form new 

 plants, as well as in having hollow, single-headed flower stalks. 



The seed (Plate 76, fig. 93) is about 1/8 of an inch long, spindle- 

 shaped, ridged lengthwise, the ridges roughened with upwardly 

 directed, rigid spines decreasing in size from the top to the base 

 of the seed, where they appear as minute tubercles. The top 

 end of the seed runs into a beak, about 1/3 of an inch long, crowned 

 with a white, thin pappus, 1/2 the length of the beak. This 

 beak breaks off easily and is not present on seeds found in com- 

 mercial samples. 



Red-seeded Dandelion (Taraxacum erythrospermum Andrz.) 

 occurs with the preceding and differs from it merely by having 

 more deeply divided leaves, sulphur-yellow, smaller heads of 

 flowers, and reddish-purple seeds. 



It is important to prevent dandelions from seeding in 

 lands adjacent to lawns. Though entailing much labour, 

 the most satisfactory way to deal with them, when deeply rooted 

 in lawns, is to loosen the soil with a digging fork and pull them 

 up. The use of the fork may not be necessary in some wet and 

 soft soils. The application of kerosene to the crown of the plant, 

 in the centre of the rosette of leaves, is recommended. Sulphate 

 of ammonia or sulphate of iron in excess is also recommended. 

 A small tablespoonful of salt applied in the morning of a hot 

 day, when the soil is quite dry, will kill them. 



