CAPEWEED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15334, 17 June 1910, Page 9

CAPEWEED.

DECLARED NOXIOUS. [Rep. Pkkss Association.] WELLINGTON, Juno IG. Notice will bo given in this week’ i* Gazette ” that Capeweed lias bee: added to the third schcdulo of tin Noxious Woods Act, which means the. tiio local authorities will now bo abl. to declare' this plant a noxious weed should they think it necessary- A groat many farmers, especially in the south, aro in the habit of applying the name “ Capeweed ” to a plant whose proper designation is Cat’s Ear, or Hypochaeris radicata. The Department of Agriculture directs attention to the fact that.tho plant referred to in the “Gazette” notice is truo Capeweed, not Cat’s Ear. Capeweed is a very undesirable plant, and the Department considers that the local authorities in whoso district it may appear will be acting wisely if thoy at once declare it a noxious weed. HOW TO DISTINGUISH CAPEWEED. In view of the close resemblance which is said to exist between Capeweed and the more common weed “ cat’s ear ” (Hypochaeris radicata), n reporter yesterday interviewed Mr M. Murphy, F.L.S., who has interested himself for many years in agricultural botany, upon the subject. Mr Murphy 6aid that while Capeweed was plentiful amongst grass in the Auckland district, and was becoming common in Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay, be had never seen a specimen in Canterbury, and as far as be was aware it bad not mado its appearance in this district. “ Cat’s ear,” however, was very plentiful in Canterbury, but sheep ate it and appeared to keep it from spreading unduly. The Capeweed was a native of South. Africa and was a rather soft herb, rarely growing over a foot in height and with loaves deeply and sharply indented. The flower had n single circle of yellow florets, with a dark purple or nearly black central disc. There was only one flower at the head of each stalk, and tho flower resembled very closely a tiny sunflower. It was a very undesirable weed, spreading rapidly, and when eaten bv cows it had been stated that the milk was tainted. “Cat’s ear” differed from Caueweed in that the flower was composed of numerous yellow florets, like a dandelion, with no dark centre. The leaves were smaller and were all root-leaves, while the stems wero slender crcl much branched. T’-o main

stem of Capeweed was fairly stout and fluted, while the flower stems , were covered with short, downy hairs. Mr Murphy adds that it wguld bo undesirable and quite impracticable to declare “ cat’s car ” a noxious weed. There are millions of plants of it in this part _of tho dominion, and it would be just as practicable to.declare the red and white clover to be noxious weeds.