6o6 WEEDS : SPECIAL 



its dry leafless shoots resembling those of the gooseberry in 

 winter. 



A stoloniferous sub-species, known as Ononis repens L., has 

 creeping stems and is without spines or nearly so. The whole 

 plant is sticky and emits a disagreeable odour. 



All forms of the plant are indicative of poverty of soil, 

 and only improved cultivation and manuring will eradicate 

 them. 



Dyers' Greenweed : Woad-wax {Genista tinctoria L.), is a low 

 shrubby pereimial plant with striate stems about a foot or 18 

 inches high and narrow lanceolate leaves. It bears clusters 

 of yellow papilionaceous flowers. 



The plant is a pest in pastures and meadows, especially on 

 stiff clays. A dressing of basic slag tends to check it, but it 

 can only be effectually removed by constant cutting, digging, 

 or pulling it out by hand. 



EOSACE^.— Silver Weed (PoUntilla Anserina L.).— A per- 

 ennial weed with stoloniferous stems, and characteristic large 

 interruptedly pinnate leaves. There are several pairs of leaflets 

 with deeply serrate margins, and these are covered with fine 

 silvery, silky white hairs, especially abundant on their lower 

 surfaces. The flowers somewhat resemble those of buttercups. 



Very common on roadsides and in damp fields. 



UMBBLLIFEE.S. — Wild Carrot, Birds' Nest {Daucus 

 Carota L.). — ^A biennial with strong, hard tap root and pin- 

 nately decompound leaves. The flowers are white, some 

 purple, in compound umbels ; the outer small umbellules cun e 

 over the inner ones, the whole inflorescence forming a cup or 

 nest-shaped structure. 



Most frequent in drj', chalky pastures and roadsides. 



RUBIACE.ffi.— Lady's Bedstraw, YeUow Bedstraw {Galium 

 verum L.). — An erect perennial with slightly woody stems and 

 whorls of six or eight very narrow, somewhat round leaves, which 

 curl backwards. It bears a large number of small yellow flowers 



