igoy.] 



Studies of Weeds. 



735 



STUDIES OF WEEDS.— II. COLTSFOOT.* 

 One of th3 common weids about which farmers make frequent 



enquiry is coltsfoot, or foal's foot 

 ( Tussilago Far/am, L.), as it is 

 sometimes called. The flowers 

 of the plant are among the 

 earliest to bloom in spring, being 

 generally seen in February and 

 March. 



The flower heads come up 

 singly or three or four together 

 from an underground rootstock ; 

 the stalks bearing them usually 

 grow from four to ten inches 

 high, and are clothed with small 

 scale-like leaves (Fig. i). 



At first the flower heads 

 droop, but when they open out 

 they are erect. At night or in 

 dull weather they close up, but 

 expand in bright sunshine. Each 

 head consists of yellow flowers 

 arranged on the same plan as 

 those in a daisy, having a central 

 collection of small florets — the 

 " disk " florets — and an outer rim 

 of " ray " florets. The " disk " 

 florets which occupy the central 

 parts of the flower head are 

 about thirty in number. Each 

 has a small tubular corolla with 

 five regular divisions or seg- 

 ments. Stamens which bear 

 pollen are present, and there is 

 ako a thickish, blunt stigma 

 attached to the ovary belovr. 

 Although stamens and pistil 

 occur together in them, these 



Fig. 



I. — Coltsfoot EErORj: 

 Leaves Appear. 



* The first of Prof. Percival'f a;t;cl3S on Weeds (Some Common Thistles) appeared 

 in the uaHox A'a ch, 1906, Vo\ XII. , No. 12. 



