56 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAINTS. 



This plaat is called St. Jolm's-wort, because it was supposed, iu olden 

 times, to have the power of keepiug ofx evil spirits, which were supposed 

 to be particularly busy on St. John's night. It is said that the custom 

 is still followed, in the retired parts of the Pyrenees, of hanging gar- 

 lands of the herb over the doors to preserve the inmates of the house 

 from " storms, thunder, heretics, and other evil spirits." 



Order Yin. CARTOPHTLLA'CE^. (Pink Family.) 



Herbs, with stems tumid at tlie nodes or joints, with opposite, often connate, entire leaves, 

 tisuaily without stipules, and mostly regular flowers. CaZi/x of 4-5 sepals, distinct or mbre 

 Br less cohering — often united into a tube. Corolla of 4 - 5 petals — or sometimes wanting. 

 Stamens OlS ma.ny — or commonly twice as many — as the petals. Styles, or stigmas, 2- b. 

 Capsule 2-5-valved — or opening only at apex by twice as many teeth or valve-points as 

 Stigmas. Seeds curved, mostly numerous : embryo coiled around the outside of mealy 

 albumen 



An Order, comprising about SO genera, and a great number of species, — some of them 

 (such as the Pinks) are very pretty and fragrant : bat none of agricultural value. 



The greater number of the representatives of the family growing wild, with us. are 

 weeds which, with few exceptions, are cot very troublesome, but as several are very 

 frequent in cultivated lands and are likely to attract the notice of farmers, descriptions of 

 the most common ones are given. 



^1. Pink Sue-family. Sepals united into a tubular calyx. Petals 5, each with a long 

 Blender claw and with the stamens borne oa the stallc of the ovary. Pod opening at the 

 apex. 



Calyx with leafy lobes, which are longer than the petals. Styles 5. 1. Agrostemma. 



Cal^rx without leafy lobes, cylindrical, even. Styles 2. 2. Sapoxaeia. 



^ 2. Chickweed Sub-family. Sepals distinct or nearly so. Petals (some- 

 times wanting) without claws, inserted with the stamens at the base of 

 sessile ovary. Pod splitting into valves or opening by teeth, few - 

 many-seeded. 



Pod 3-celled, many -seeded. Petals none. 3. Mollugo. 



Pod 1-celled. Styles 3-5. 

 Stipules none. 



Styles 5. Petals 5. Pod opening by 10 teeth. 4. Cerasttctsi. 



Styles 3-4. Pod splitting into valves. 5. Strt.t.aru. 



Leaves with scaly stipules. 



Styles 5. Leaves thread-like, whorled. 6. Spergula. 



1. AGEOSTEM'MA, L. Corn-cockle. 



[Name from the Greek, meaning crown of the field.] 



Ca/</x tubular, without scales at the base, with 5 long leaf-like teeth 

 which fall off in fruiting. Petals 5, not crowned at the throat. Stamens 

 10. Styles 5. Pod opening at the top by 5 teeth. Annual or biennial. 

 1. A. Githa'go, L. Hairy ; leaves lance-linear, acute ; petals obovate 

 emarginate. 



GiTH-LiKE Agrostemma. Com-cockle. Rose-campion. 



Fr. La Nielle des Bles. Germ. Gemeine Bade. Span. Neguillon. 



Ptoni clothed with long appressed hairs. i2ooi annual, Sifejn 2-4 feet high, branched 

 above. Leaves 3-5 inches long. Peduncles terminal, 4-8 or 10 inches long. Petals red- 

 dish or pale violet-purple. Capsule ovoid. Seeds numerous, muricately ribbed, purplish- 

 black. 



Cultivated grounds — chiefly among wheat and rye : introduced. Native of Europe. Fi 

 Tune Fr. July. 



