SHEEP'S BURR, AUSTRALIAN BURR

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 14

SHEEP'S BURR, AUSTRALIAN BURR

The fact thsifc th;s plant, which is an introduction from Australia, is spreading in pasture lands has been mentioned in former reports, So ma:iy specimens have, however, been received, and in severs! in«fctnces from districts mherc j till now no complaints have bpen heard, (.hat ifc Ht ems desirable fco publish an illustration and snort description in order that settlers may become familiar with a weed waich is rapidly .^coming a source of great annoyance to woolraisers. The leaves r.f the sheep's burr resemble those oi: our native piri-piri, biddy-biddy, or buzzes ; but the fruit or burrs, instead of forming a round head, are arranged ou an erect spike («ee Fig. 2) This spike is from lit to 2ft in height. The burrs are hard and covered with numerous barbed s-piuts (see Fig 3). At first sight the

! fruit looks soraethtcg like a miniature specimen of the fruit of tno Bathurst burr (Xantbium | spincsum), and to tins ie probably due the fact i that it has been sent by two different persons as Bathurst burr. A moment's comparison ot the illustration yiven at the head of this notice with that which follows' is, however, sufficient to 1 show that the two plants should never be mistaken. A sharp look-out should be kept for sheep's burr, and whenever plants are seen in pasture land they should be cub before floweriug. This will prevenc large quantities of wool from becoming greatly deteriorated in value by the intermixture of burrs. lam informed that en two prnpert : e3 a largo portion of the wool was depreciated to the extent of 2d per pound. ' Specinu-ris of two otfatr plants, described and ; figured in former reports, are still received as i Bathurst burr. It therefore seems desirable to ' r«-publi«h the illwetracions here.