592 WEEDS : SPECIAL 



May or June, when the charlock plants are small. The crop 

 should be dry at the time of application, and for success no rain 

 should fall for at least twenty-four hours afterwards. 



Shepherd's-Purse (^Capsella Bursa-pastoris Moench.). — An 

 erect annual with tap root and a rosette of spreading pinnatifid 

 leaves close to the ground. The upright branched stem bears 

 racemes of small white flowers, and triangular or obcordate flat 

 "pods." Common on all light cultivated land and waysides; 

 often attacked with white rust fungus (Cystopus candidus). 



Wild Eadish, Jointed Chailock, Eunch {Raplianus Raphanis- 

 trum L.). — Similar in habit to charlock (see page 384) and to be 

 dealt with in the same manner. 



CAKYOPHYLLACE.S. — Bladder Campion : White Bottle 

 {Silene inflata Sm.). — ^An erect perennial, recognised by its 

 white flowers and bladder-like calyx; the latter has a fine net- 

 work of violet veins. The stem is two or three feet high, smooth, 

 and the whole plant ashy grey in colour. 



White Campion {Lychnis vespertina Sib.). — ^An erect bien- 

 nial?) with conspicuous white flowers scented in the evening. 

 The upper parts of the plant near the joints and flowers have 

 sticky hairs upon them. 



Eed Campion {Lychnis diurna Sib.). — Perennial : very similar 

 to the last, but possesses pink flowers. 



The campions have opposite leaves, and their seeds, in shape 

 like a curled up hedgehog (3, Fig. 199), are very often present in 

 samples of clovers and Timothy grass seeds (see page 646). 

 They thus are liable to appear in the clover and grass leys as 

 well as in com. 



Com Cockle {Agrostemma Githago L. = Lychnis Githago 

 Scop.). — An annual reaching a height of 3 or 4 feet in com, 

 with long, narrow opposite leaves ; the flowers, over an inch in 

 diameter, have broad pale purple corollas and the sepals of the 

 calyx are narrow and longer than the corolla. The capsule is large, 

 and contains about forty rough, black seeds ; the latter, which 



