312 APOCYNACEAE (DOGBANE FAMILY} 



the five stamens have hairy filaments. The 

 flowers open only in the brightest sunshine, 

 closing quickly if clouds obscure the light 

 and usually by four o'clock in the afternoon 

 even in good weather. Capsule membra- 

 naceous and one-celled, nearly globular, 

 smooth, many-seeded, opening by a circular 

 line near the top which falls off like a lid ; 

 the pedicels are recurved as they ripen and 

 the small, dark, triangular, finely pitted 

 seeds are emptied out. Seed matures 

 within three weeks from the time of bloom 

 and retains its vitality in the soil for at 

 least two years. (Fig. 217.) 



Means of control 



In gardens and fields, early and persist- 

 ent cultivation is necessary in order to pre- 

 FIG. 217. Scarlet vent the weed from ripening and distribut- 

 Pimpernel (Anagallis ar- i n g its seeds. Badly infested pastures and 

 meadows should be put under cultivation; 



thick patches should be burned over for the purpose of destroying 

 seeds on the surface before breaking the ground. 



SPREADING DOGBANE 

 Apocynum androsoemtfolium, L. 



Other English names: Wandering Milkweed, Milk Ipecac, Honey- 

 bloom, Bitter-root. 



Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds and by rootstocks. 



Time of bloom: June to August. 



Seed-time: August to October. 



Range: Anticosti to British Columbia, southward to Georgia, Ne- 

 braska, and Arizona. 



Habitat: Fields, roadsides, and thickets ; frequently troublesome in 

 vineyards. 



A poisonous weed, but very graceful and attractive, growing 

 usually in patches or colonies because of its extensive creeping, 



