. Introduction to botany. Botany. 334 INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY Any very prevalent and troublesome weed, will usually be found to possess a great many of the qualities just stated. A good example of this is found in the common sorrel (fig. 241). It is rapidly propagated by its creeping roots, which may form a network throughout a piece of ground nine feet in diameter. As these roots form buds at short intervals, a single plant, when let alone, will soon become the center of a colony. Sorrel also seeds abundantly, and its seeds occur mixed with commercial grass seed and clover .seed. It is little
. Introduction to botany. Botany. 334 INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY Any very prevalent and troublesome weed, will usually be found to possess a great many of the qualities just stated. A good example of this is found in the common sorrel (fig. 241). It is rapidly propagated by its creeping roots, which may form a network throughout a piece of ground nine feet in diameter. As these roots form buds at short intervals, a single plant, when let alone, will soon become the center of a colony. Sorrel also seeds abundantly, and its seeds occur mixed with commercial grass seed and clover .seed. It is little affected by drought or frost and flourishes in poor, thin soils, so that neglected pastures often become overrun with it. This sorrel, then, is a good example of the kind of -^A'ced that finds its way where the con- ditions are not very fav- orable to the growth of more robust plants, and that makes considerable headway beneath the shade of crops taller than itself. An example of the oppo- site type of weed, that can- not reach anything like its full size except in deep, rich ground, is the common ragweed (fig. 242). Under favorable conditions this grows so large as to crowd out other plants. It cannot repro- duce itself except by seed, but the seeds are abundant (often more than 20,000 in number); the seedlings soon become stout and branching, with a deep taproot which robs all neighboring plants of water and food materials. Other familiar weeds of rich ground with the robust habit of the ragweed are pigweeds ( Chenopodmni) of several species, two or three species of rough pigweeds (Amaranthus'), several kinds of dock, the Indian mallow or butter print (Abutilon), and Fig. 241. Portion of a plant of the common sorrel The leaf is drawn about one half natural size. The running roots of a large specimen would be at least sixty times as long as the piece here shown. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhan
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