412 



COMPOSITAE (COMPOSITE FAMILY) 



FIG. 287. 

 Indian Tobacco 

 (Lobelia inflate) . 

 XJ. 



and slender branches held nearly erect, the whole 

 plant finely rough-hairy. Leaves alternate, thin, 

 light green, long oval, with blunt, irregular teeth, 

 the lower ones narrowed to short petioles, the 

 upper ones much smaller and sessile. Flowers in 

 spike-like bracted racemes, similar in structure -to 

 the preceding species, but much smaller, the co- 

 rollas less than a half-inch long and pale blue ; 

 capsule much inflated, containing many small 

 dark brown seeds. 



Means of control 



Hand-pulling in pastures and meadows. Sur- 

 face cultivation of stubbles after harvest. Im- 

 provement of the soil by liming, manuring, and 

 cultivation, which witt- enable better plants to 

 smother the weed. 



TALL IRONWEED OR FLAT-TOP 



Verndnia altissima, Nutt. 

 (Vernbnia gigantea, Britton) 

 (Verndnia maxima, Small) 



Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds. 

 Time of bloom : July to September. 

 Seed-time: September to November. 



Range: New York to Michigan and Illinois, southward to Mis- 

 souri, Louisiana, and Alabama. 

 Habitat : Prairies ; meadows, pastures, and roadsides. 



This great weed is the despair of the prairie farmer, who sees it 

 take possession of his rich soil, appropriating most of the food and 

 moisture and crowding out the grasses ; the plant is rejected by all 

 grazing animals, even sheep. 



Stem four to ten feet tall, erect, strong and woody, branching 

 near the top, springing from roots like thick, fibrous cords, forming 

 a huge tassel at the base of the stalk and penetrating in all direc- 

 tions. Leaves alternate, narrow lance-shaped, thin, dark green, 

 pointed at both ends, finely toothed, sessile, usually smooth on 



