THE WEEDS OF CULTIVATION 81 



which have been crumpled in bud, is worth watching ; they look 

 so tumbled when the sepals first open, yet they spread themselves 

 out perfectly smoothly. The opening of the fruit by pores just 

 below the lid formed by the stigmas should also be observed ; the 

 seeds are thrown some distance from the parent plant, and thus 

 dispersed. 



The Cornflower has very large outer florets, whose work it is 

 to attract insects. The inner disc florets are the perfect ones, 

 making both pollen and seed. Another of the Compositae, common 

 in cornfields on sandy as well as calcareous soil, is the Corn Marigold, 

 in which all the florets are of a deep golden yellow. This belongs 

 to the same genus as the Ox-eye Daisy, but does not grow as large 

 and has not white florets. The Corn Spurrey (Spergula arvensis) 

 grows about six or eight inches high. It has very 

 narrow leaves, apparently whorled, and very minute 

 white flowers with undivided petals. The Sandwort 

 Spurrey (Spergularia rubra) is found near the sea. 

 It is a more creeping plant than the other, and 

 usually has pink flowers. 



Certain weeds are characteristic of rich loams. 

 The most common are the Groundsel, the Chick- FlG 35 .^.A floret 

 weed, the Sowthistle, two or three species of of Groundsel, 



Veronicas, a species of Spurge (Euphorbia Peplus\ cal ^ ; * ovar > r ; 



A ^ TV IT? i 4.1, r A i J/ stigmas ; , 



and the Pimpernel. Every one knows the Groundsel, sta minai tube. 

 which is practically ubiquitous. There are seldom 

 any ray-florets, all the flowers being tubular. The involucre 

 consists of two rows of bracts tipped with black, the outer row 

 being shorter than the inner one. The calyx, as in most of the 

 Compositae, is represented by hairs, which form the feathery 

 pappus after the flower has withered. The petals and stamens 

 are five in number, and the stamens, being joined together by 

 their anthers, form a tube through which the stigmas pass. Self- 

 pollination takes place as the stigmas are pushing their way up 

 through the staminai tube ; the stamens dehisce inwards and 

 the pollen grains fall on the stigmas. Small, inconspicuous 

 flowers of this kind are not, as a rule, dependent on cross- 

 pollination, although this may take place occasionally. 



The Chickweed (Stellaria media} is almost as common as the 



VOL. V. 6 



