Evening star., 1915-06-06
QUEER FACTS ABOUT PLANTS

| ivy. periwinkle and the honeysuosie;
and. in not far distant localities. the
American dodder, the salt wort ana the
Russian thistle.
The Patagonian plantafn (p1antago
| aristata) is rapidly journeying toward
| Washington from the suburbs. where
| 1t abounds. 1t is an notwithstanding
plant. having swordlike leaves and
| spiky-looking flowers. 1t always grows
in dense masses. This weed will sub
due every plant in its way. Even the
| members Of its own family, such as
the major OF common plantain, the
English and Virginia plantain. cannot
Withstand 1t.
dica) Is an obnoxious weed sailing un-
der false colors. 1t Is a pretty plant.
with trefoliate leaves, a yellow flower
reminding one of buttercup. an al
| most tasteless fruit, strongly resem-
bling strawberry. It's invasion is
marked by such great numbers that
| many city lawns have already been de-
vastated by 1t. When hordes of these
plants have once taken a foothold no
other growing herb Is able to exist be-
side them.
The potentilla norvegica is, fgura-
lively speaking, an ally of the wild
strawberry. 1t belongs to the same
| family and looks somewhat similar,
| but being of less robust habit, Its in
roads are not so noticeabl The Tur-
kish speedwell is by COMPARISON a very
! humble plant in appearance, but its
| fighting qualities for the possession of
| the soil are very great. 1t lies nat and
close to the ground, and has tiny
| blue flower not unlike a forget-me not.
| The speedwell prefers to attack a well
| kept lawn rather than a neglected one.
| Its form of conquest can best be learn
| ed by observing closely the grassy
| Dupont in Dupont Circle, and also on
the grounds around the Wotherspoon
and Webster monuments. although it is
not limited to these spots.
| The ground ivy (nepeta glecoma) is
an inveterate enemy of the Turkish
i speedwell, to which in almost every
| instance 1t is obliged to surrender. The
ground ivy is also insignificant look
| ing, but it's blue flowers are more
| snowy and numerous. These two plants
can be seen to the best advantage in
/ Judiciary Square, where they are con-
| tending for supremacy, provided, OF
| course, that the frequent clipping OF
| the lawn by mowers has not tempo
| rarily diminished their warning spirit
\ Two other plants strongly antago-
| nistic to one another are the peri
!! winkle (vinca minor) and the trumpet
| honeysuckle 0onicera sempervirens)
Both are evergreens. and the honey
| suckle, although of rank and obstinate
These two plants fight their battles in
out-of-the-way places, where they are
not observed and where the victor does
| not otherwise despoil the land. 1t has
| been noted that when the periWinkle
has attacked a hillside completely
| overrun with honeysuckle the latter
| has been finally vanquished.
| One of the most belligerent plants
| found in rich farming lands and moist
woodland pastures Is the American
dodder or devils yarn (cuscuta ar
| vensis) This weed attacks clover
fields, although nothing can possibly
| grow where it exists. The devils yarn
| is an almost leaf1ess plant and forms a
| tangled mass Of yellow twine-like
branches, which it winds like a snake
! around other defenseless plants and
| strangles them.
The two most dreaded Of all these
| encroaching weeds are the salt wort
| (salsola kalD and the Russian thistle