18 



WEEDS. 



heads hang down ; as the moisture evaporates in ripening 

 they become hghter, are again erected, and the down 

 expands. 



The "coltsfoot" is often a very troublesome weed in 

 moist, stiff clayey, and marley soils, that have been over- 

 cropped and exhausted. The roots penetrate deeply, and 

 are widely spread, and when drawn they often break, and 

 sprout again very vigorously. To eradicate roots of that 

 nature, deep ploughing is the surest way; and the furrow 

 must be comparatively narrow, in order that the roots may 

 not escape unhurt between the furrow slices. The root 

 being perennial, renders attention to the eradication of that 

 part of the plant equally if not more necessary, with the 

 prevention of the seeds being perfected. Both duties bemg 

 properly executed, the " coltsfoot" will speedily disappear, 

 the presence of it being a sure mark of bad management. 



12. The " Ragwort," or the " Senecio" of botanists, is a 

 very common weed in Britain, and grows in most soils 

 and situations. The plant belongs to the class and order 

 "Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua" of Linneus, and the 

 natural order " Corymbiferse" of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Common calyx, calyculate, conical, 

 truncated. Scales awl-shaped, numerous, parallel and con- 

 tracted into a cylinder at the upper part, contiguous, equal ; 

 not so numerous at the base, but imbricated, withering at 

 the tip,. Corolla compound, higher than the calyx. 

 Florets of the disk perfect, tubular, numerous, funnel- 

 shaped, with a five-cleft, reflexed limb ; those of the radius, 

 if any, female, ligulate, oblong, shghtly three-toothed. 

 Stamina : in the perfect florets, filaments five, capillary 

 very small; anthers cylindrical, tubular. Pistil (in all 

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

 of the stamens ; stigmas two, oblong, revolute. Pericarp 

 none, except the conical, converging calyx. Seeds in both 

 kinds of florets alike, solitary, ovate, crowned with capillary 

 long down. Receptacle naked, fiat. 



Essential character. — Receptacle naked. Down sim- 

 ple. Calyx cyhndrical, many-leaved, equal, scaly at the 

 base. Scales dead at the tip. 



