16 



WEEDS. 



toothed. This characteristic separates it from the "Sinapis." 

 The same means of eradication apply to both plants. 



10. The " Gromwell,'* or the " Lithospermum" of botany, 

 is a plant of frequent growth on soft lands on a clayey bottom, 

 mostly adapted for wheat. The plant belongs to the class and 

 order " Pentandria monogynia " of Linneus, and the natural 

 order "Boraginese" of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Calyx : perianth five-parted, oblong, 

 straight, sharp, permanent; divisions awl-shaped, keeled. 

 Corolla one-petalled, funnel-form, length of the calyx; tube 

 cylindric ; border half five-cleft, obtuse, upright ; throat per- 

 forated, naked. Stamina : filaments five, very short ; anthers 

 oblong, incumbent, covered. Pistil ; germs four ; style fili- 

 form, length of the stamens ; stigma obtuse, emarginate. 

 Pericarp none ; calyx grown larger, upright, containing 

 the seeds in its bosom. Seeds four, rather oblong, obtuse, 

 gibbous. 



Essential character. — Calyx five-parted. Corolla fun- 

 nel-form, perforated at the throat, naked. 



The " Corn Gromwell," or the " Lithospermum arvense," 

 has the seed ovate, wrinkled ; calycine leaflets, lanceolate ; 

 corollas, scarcely longer than the calyx. Leaves lanceolate, 

 sharpish, hispid. Root annual, small, and not much- 

 branched ; the bark abounds with a deep red dye, which 

 stains paper and linen. Stem upright, a foot or more in 

 height, round or slightly angular, rough, with close-pressed 

 hairs, often much-branched at the top. Leaves alternate, 

 lanceolate, entire, rigid, sessile, rough, with bristly hairs 

 close-pressed standing out from the edge. Flowers soli- 

 tary, nearly sessile, in the axils of the upper leaves. Corolla 

 small and white, with five swellings round its orifice. Seeds 

 brown, rugged, rather covered with hard tubercles tUan 

 wrinkled ; two, three, or four, but generally three, with one 

 abortive ; when there are four seeds, two are found abortive, 

 and six divisions in the calyx. 



This plant flowers from May to July, and in some places 

 it is pretty abundant. Being annual, the seeding only has 

 to be guarded against; and the wheat crops being drilled. 



