CoMPOSIT&. 39 
Erechthites quadridentata, D.C. The genus is closely allied to Seneczo, 
and the species in question is one of the many plants known as cotton- 
weed, owing to its being covered with a white cottony wool, éspecially when 
young. It is a native plant, one to three feet high, with a perennial 
rhizome, and seeding freely. In many parts of the Western District it has 
taken complete possession of entire fields,. largely as the result of neglect. 
Repeated cutting and the prevention of flowering will keep it down on 
pasture land, but it is best suppressed by a summer fallow, followed by 
a root crop or leafy fodder crop, the first ploughing taking place before the 
plants are half-grown. 
Erigeron canadense, L., the Canadian Fleabane, and £. linifolius, 
Willd., the Flax Leaved Fleabane. Both plants are natives of Europe, 
Asia and Africa and are both common weeds in pastures, gardens, waste 
places and neglected fields. The latter plant is usually taller and more 
slender, the former being under one to two feet. Both have white heads 
of flowers, the rays being small and white and the pappus also white. 
The seeds are readily dispersed by the wind, but do not appear to have 
a prolonged vitality in the soil. The weed is a spasmodic or cyclic one, 
being much more abundant in certain seasons than in others. This is 
because the possible number of new plants represented by the seeds is 
always vastly greater than the actual number, so that favourable conditions 
have ample scope for their action, even though the plants of one season 
are almost wholly derived from the seed of the previous season. . 
The plants have no appreciable economic value, but are not actively 
injurious. The powdered seeds are sharply aromatic and have a slight 
pedfie "for the purpose indicated by the popular name. The weeds are 
easily kept under on pasture land by cutting down, well before flowering, 
sc that no seeds ripen on the ground after cutting. Hoeing and good 
tillage easily keep the plant under in gardens: and arable land. 
Helichrysum apiculatum, DGiy a native of Australia, has been known 
to cause death by the matting of the hairs from the plant into balls in the 
stomachs of stock. The pappus hairs of many Composite (Aster, Vitta- 
denia, &c.) will produce the same effect if swallowed. The prevention 
is by cuttine down the Composites before flowering and seeing that the 
stock have plenty of green forage, and if necessary an occasional soft 
mash. 
. : L. The Flat Weed or Cat’s-ear. The plant is 
: Ral ere ag d hairy leaves flat on the ground and erect leafless 
stems bearing rather large yellow heads of flowers. The "seeds ’’ have 
a long beak terminated by a feathery pappus, the whole habit being 
SG bae that of a dandelion. It contains a bitter milky sap which makes 
it latable, though not entirely poisonous. The plant is widely spread 
unpalata Test complete possession of the ground in some districts to 
and takes A eee of the pastures. An exclusive diet of this weed 
the pe Ip but injure stock eventually. Manuring, scarifying the 
could not ie encouragement of the taller grasses by avoiding over- 
sunfoie eae to suppress it. Pastures brought temporarily under cultiva- 
stocking he Bly cleaned of the weed, especially if the long perennial tap 
ina. ake nS iba out after ploughing. On a small scale the plants can be 
roots are e flowering. 
hoed up befor ; . : ' 
one ocharis glabra, L., is also fairly abundant but is a smaller annual 
without hairs, and much less injurious. Both plants are introduc- 
ae from Europe of North America. 
ions 
