VHE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 25 
“THE WEEDS OF CIVILIZATION.” 
(Abstract from a lecture delivered by Mr. EB. Cheel at the 
February meeting). 
It is a well known fact that certain weeds are to be found 
wherever the civilized races establish their homes. On vacant 
allotments in the heart of the city of Sydney, for example, we 
find such plants as “Shepherd’s Purse” (Capsella bursa-pastoris), 
“Wlaxleaved Fleabane” (Hrigeron linifolia), “IKnot-Weed” 
‘Potato-Weed” (Galinsoga parviflora), “Annual Po” 
Polygonum .aviculare), “White Goose-foot” (Chenopodiu 
(Poa annua), “S ster” (Aster subulatus), and several others, 
are the first weeds or vegetable emigrants that establish them- 
selves on vacant allotments and even on ‘building sites where 
buildings have stood previously for upwards of 100 years. One 
will notice that the above mentioned weeds will establish 
themselves in the course of a few months when the buildings 
have been razed to the ground. We know that the seeds of 
many weeds are carried in various ways, such as clinging to 
muddy soles of boots, the wheels of vehicles, on the feet of birds 
or even in their feathers, as well as being transported by mice, 
rats, and human beings, etc., by clinging to the fur of animals 
and the clothing of persons travelling from place to place. In 
modern clothing quite a Jarge number of seeds may be carried 
about from one country to another in the turn-up bottoms of 
men’s trousers. As one investigates the subject of weed distri- 
bution, and acclimatization of the adventitious flora more closely, 
it unfolds an extraordinary chapter in plant history, even with- 
in our own city boundaries, as there are so many ways in which 
seeds can be conveyed from place to place. We have only to 
examine the back-yards of any city dwelling, the outer yards 
of business establishments or other open spaces where air, sun- 
shine and rain can gain access, and we shall find weeds of some 
kind growing without any assistance in the way of tilling the 
soil. Around flour mills, wool-scouring sheds, cattle-sale yards 
and garbage tips, quite a large number of alien weeds may be 
found. It has been shown by Hayward and Druece (The Ad- 
ventine Flora of Tweedside, 1919) that 526 species of weeds 
have been collected at Montpellier, and 348 species at 'Tweed- 
side, which have been transported from various countries (in- 
cluding, of course, different parts of Europe), by means of wool ©. 
introduction. 
They have also stated that “foreign grain accounted for 
