46 



WEEDS. — 



PILEWORT. 



, — CUD WEED. 



June to September, and grows abundantly in pastures and 

 on road-sides. The medicinal qualities are yet allowed, and 

 probably the plant may be regarded rather useful as a 

 medicine than noxious as food. The root being perennial 

 and creeping, the only method of extirpation is to raise the 

 roots by hand-labour with the three-pronged fork. 



The "Achillea ptarmica" flowers in July and August, and 

 a double variety of it forms the "bachelors' buttons." It 

 grows very commonly in meadows, by the sides of ditches, 

 in moist woods, and shady places. To eradicate it, the roots 

 must be raised with forks by hand-labour. 



8. The " Pilewort," or the " Ficaria" of botany, abounds 

 as a weed in shady moist grounds. It is easily known by its 

 tuberous roots. Leaves cordate, shining. Stems many, leafy, 

 red at bottom, four inches long. Flowers upright. Seeds 

 sub-ovate. 



The "pilewort" often occupies much room, and chokes 

 other plants which grow near it, and not being eaten by cattle, 

 it should be extirpated. Coal and wood ashes are very effec- 

 tual in destroying it. The general effect of top-dressings is 

 to kill succulent plants, and encourage the fibrous and gra- 

 mineous. 



9. The "Cud weed," or the "GnaphaHum" of botany, is 

 sometimes seen on pastures where the sown grasses have 

 missed. The plant belongs to the class and order " Synge- 

 nesia polygamia superflua" of Linneus, and the natural order 

 " Corymbiferse " of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Common calyx imbricated, rounded ; 

 scales numerous, the marginal ones rounded; scariose coloured. 

 Corolla : compound-florets of the disk tubular, funnel-shaped, 

 in five equal reflexed marginal segments ; some female ones 

 without a corolla, are often intermixed towards the margin. 

 Stamina (in the perfect florets) : filaments five, very short 

 capillary ; anthers forming a cylinder. Pistil (in the same 

 florets) : germen ovate ; style thread-shaped, the length of 

 the stamens; stigma cloven. In the female ones the 

 same. Pericarp none, except the permanent shining calyx. 

 Seeds in both kinds of florets alike, solitary, oblong, small, 

 crowned with capillary or feathery down. Receptacle naked. 



