312 APOCYNACEAE (DOGBANE FAMILY) 
the five stamens have hairy filaments. The 
flowers open only in the brightest sunshine, 
closing quickly if clouds obscure the light 
and usually by four o’clock in the afternoon 
even in good weather. Capsule membra- 
naceous and one-celled, nearly globular, 
smooth, many-seeded, opening by a circular 
line near the top which falls off like a lid; 
the pedicels are recurved as they ripen and 
the small, dark, triangular, finely pitted 
seeds are emptied out. Seed matures 
within three weeks from the time of bloom 
and retains its vitality in the soil for at 
-least two years. (Fig. 217.) 
Means of control 
In gardens and fields, early and _persist- 
ent cultivation is necessary in order to pre- 
Fie. 217.—Scarlet vent the weed from ripening and distribut- 
Pimpernel (Anagallis ar- ing its seeds. Badly infested pastures and 
vensis). x 4. meadows should be put under cultivation; 
thick patches should be burned over for the purpose of destroying 
seeds on the surface before breaking the ground. 
SPREADING DOGBANE 
Apécynum androsemifolium, L. 
Other English names: Wandering Milkweed, Milk Ipecac, Honey- 
bloom, Bitter-root. 
Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds and by rootstocks. 
Time of bloom: June to August. 
Seed-time: August to October. 
Range: Anticosti to British Columbia, southward to Georgia, Ne- 
braska, and Arizona. : 
Habitat Fields, roadsides, and thickets; frequently troublesome in 
vineyards. 
A poisonous weed, but very graceful and attractive, growing 
usually in patches or colonies because of its extensive creeping, 
