83 



That these large areas of different types should exist inde- 

 pendently so near to each other is interesting. None of the 

 glabrous type was noted along the roadside but an isolated oc- 

 currence of the glandular type was found beside the road op- 

 posite the cornfield, where the glabrous type grew among the 

 corn — an extension, doubtless, from the glandular type of abun- 

 dance along the road further east. A small colony, perhaps lo 

 or 15 feet south of the fence line of the field of glandular plants 

 (the only one noted in this large, weedy, fallow field) suggested 

 that it might have been introduced as easily through long travel- 

 ling roots as from seed. The apparent absence of the Sonchus 

 from fields closely adjacent to such areas of great abundance is 

 always interesting and suggests a field for observation con- 

 cerning the rapidity of occupancy through root agency and the 

 probable spread through seed. 



Though plants of both types vary in height according to con- 

 ditions, they normally appear to be tall-growing plants. Three 

 plants of a colony of the glandular type, collected in a weedy, 

 semi-open situation in a denuded woodland close to a highway, 

 measure respectively 58, 64 and 67 inches in height, and some 

 plants in a cornfield were observed that were over 6 feet in 

 height. Plants of the glabrous type in a cornfield, as already 

 noted, were observed to be even taller. Some material of the 

 glabrous type collected measured in even inches respectively 

 27, 29, 29, 30, 31, 34, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 

 52, 55, 61, 61 inches in height. Some of these plants grew to 

 late maturity in mowed areas and are lower than the average. 

 Two plants of such late growth of the glandular type, collected 

 along a mowed roadside, measure respectively 25 and 26 inches 

 in height. In one field (unmowed this season) many plants of 

 the glabrous type were found with vigorous growth above pros- 

 trate dried growth of other species, especially Red Clover. It 

 was found that these plants had a stem, bare of leaves, that 

 lay prostrate with the dried growth. Many of these plants were 

 in bloom and three of them, collected, measure respectively 54, 

 49 and 47 inches in height, including the bare prostrate stem of 

 respectively 22, 19 and 16 inches. 



The expanded heads of both types are very showy and of a 

 bright yellow color, opening early in the day and closing in 

 the afternoon, at least on clear days. It was not found possible to 



