20 DROSERACER. 
State with impure agricultural seed, and is spread in the same way. The 
seeds of the Red and White Campion (Zychuis diurna, Sibth., and L. ves- 
pertina, Sibth.)* are common impurities in corn, clover and grass seed but 
the Red Campion is not yet reported as a weed, although the white form 
is already naturalized. 
Dianthus armeria, L. Reported from a few localities, usually at high 
elevations, but not plentiful. A native of Europe and the Caucasus. 
Spergula arvensis, L, The Corn Spurrey. A native of Europe, Asia, and 
Africa. It is a small annual seeding freely and especially troublesome on 
light or strong soil, where it is apt to smother the young crop. If the 
seeds are abundant, a fine tilth should be prepared early in the season, and 
the seedlings destroyed after germination by harrowing or shallow plough- 
ing. On pastures it has a slight temporary value as a fodder plant, but is 
useless for permanent pasture. 
Stellaria media, Cyr. The Chickweed. A native of Europe, Asia and 
Africa. A prostrate watery weed with small white flowers and with a single 
line of hairs between each pair of. leaves forming a staircase for rain- 
drops to roll down the stem without wetting it. The plant seeds freely all 
the year round, and may pass through as much as six generations in one 
year. Assuming that each plant produced 200 seeds and all germinated, 
this would mean 320,000 million plants at the end of the year, and at 
the end of three years sufficient to form a solid mass over the whole of the 
world. Fortunately, though a common weed of arable land and gardens, 
it is easily destroyed, does not stand drought’ well, and its seeds soon 
lose their vitality in the soil. 
Cerastium vulgatum, L. The Mouse-ear Chickweed. It is somewhat 
similar to the above in appearance, but is a coarser and more hairy plant. 
It is an annual or biennial, and some forms grow well in open dry 
situations. 
Saponaria officinalis, L., Soap Wort, and S. vaccaria, L., Cow Soap 
Wort, are European weeds which appear to be sporadically introduced from 
time to time with impure seed, but do not appear as yet to have fully 
established themselves or to have spread to any extent. 
DrosERAce® (SUNDEW Famity). 
A smal] order easily recognised: by the glandular leaves which enable 
the plants to capture and digest insects. Various species of Drosera are 
occasionally sent in as supposed poisonous plants. Possibly the fact that 
they trap and digest small -insects suggests to the popular mind that they 
may also be dangerous to cows and sheep. One species of the genus, 
D. communis, St. Hil., from Brazil is very bitter and is supposed to 
be injurious to sheep, but it does not grow in Australia, and no poisonous 
principle has hitherto been extracted from any member of this genus. 
Putrid insects adhering to a leaf might cause ptomaine poisoning when 
the leaf was eaten, but this is not very likely. 
Calyciflorese. 
The top of the flower stalk (thalamus) is more or less prolonged into a 
cup or saucer-like enlargement from whose inner and upper edge, sepals 
and petals or sepals, petals and stamens arise. In the simpler forms, the 
calyx segments appear to be merely somewhat fused at the base. 
* These species are sometimes made varieties of one species—Lychnis dioica, L. var. rubra and var. 
alba, 
