COMPOSITE FAMILY 



shorter and thicker, closely clustered. The scales 

 cream-white to pale brownish yellow. 



COMMON BURDOCK 



Arctium minus. Lappa officinalis 



Arctium, Greek, arctus, a bear, from the shaggy in- 

 volucre. 



A coarse biennial weed, with large leaves and many 

 branches, bearing small purplish flowers in globular 

 heads about the size of a marble. Everywhere; varying 

 into many forms. Naturalized from Europe. July- 

 November. 



Root. — Long, deep, tap-root. 



Stem. — Two to five feet high, leafy and branching. 



Leaves. — Alternate, large, broadly ovate, heart-shaped 

 at base, entire or repand, acute at apex. 



Flower -heads. — Hemispherical, in racemose clusters 

 at the ends of the branches. Florets tubular, purple or 

 white; bracts rigid, lanceolate, tipped with hooked 

 bristles. 



A young Burdock is a plant that commands either 

 respect or hatred, depending upon one's point of view. 

 A promising seedling sends up leaves that are long and 

 broad and thick, borne on stout petioles which bear 

 them out from the central stem in every direction, so 

 that they cover up and choke out all lesser plants near 

 them. They are born monopolists, they ruthlessly 

 destroy all competitors. They clear their field at the 

 very beginning, so that no other plants may enjoy the 

 soil near their own roots. 



When the Burdock blooms it breaks out into great 

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