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PREFACE
The material presented in this book includes seeds and parts of the mature infructescence of altogether 306 different
species of weeds. The book comprises the seeds of all the flowering and fruiting (phanerogamic) species of weeds which
are treated in my book published in 1930: «Unkräuter im Ackerbau der Neuzeit» (Julius Springer, Berlin), and in
addition 101 other species. The species of weeds are mainly those which are distributed in North, West, Central, and
East Europe, and partly South Europe and North America.
The object has been to present the material treated with accuracy and correctness both with regard to outer form
and colour. The reproduction is therefore made from hand-made plates in which all possible measures have been
taken in order to secure a correct picture in natural and enlarged size.
The material has been collected by the author in the course of many years, partly directly in the field (Scandinavian
weeds), and partly through exchange or in other ways from foreign botanical institutions and stations for seed
inspection.
In order to make these plates useful in guiding not only all those who directly are inspecting agricultural seed
material but also other individuals and institutions (seed refineries, seed stores, and buyers of seed) that may be
interested in the seed problem, the author has included a selection of species the seeds of which frequently are found
as impurities in seed material. It is a matter of course that it has been impossible to include infructescence and
seeds of all the species of weeds destructive in the agriculture of Europe and North America, as the agricultural weed
flora of all these countries is much too varied and manifold. The main object has therefore been to include most
of those species the seeds of which more commonly may be spread through the sale of seeds of various species of grains,
grasses, and legumes. For instance, seeds of weeds which are introduced with seed material from southern countries
to more northern countries may be character-seeds for the place of production. Examples: Seeds of Plantago
aristata are present in the seeds of species of clover and grass grown in North America, also seeds of Ambrosia
artemisiifolia, Carex cephalophora, Lepidium virginicum, and Panicum capillare, etc. Other examples are: seeds of Bifora
radians in Hungarian vetches, seeds of Anthemis austriaca in Hungarian red clover, and seeds of Coronilla varia in
Hungarian blue lucerne, etc.
Regarding the areas of distribution given in connection with the explanatory text, the author should like to state
that, as a matter of course, many of the species, the seeds of which are included in this book may also occur outside
the areas indicated, among other places also in the southern hemisphere. However, it is assumed that this fact is
of little interest or importance to the object which the author here has in mind.
According to the life forms of the weed species the author has arranged the material in biological groups, specially
for practical reasons. But this grouping may in the case of some species lead to difficulties, as, for instance, varying
latitude and climate may cause plants of the same species to occur both as annuals and perennials. Other similar
cases may occur.
In the description of the seeds of the various species of weeds I have made an attempt to give a figure for the
weight in grams of 1000 seeds, and the greatest length and width in millimeters (rounded-off, average figure from
measurements on 10—60 (80) seeds per species). No figures of this kind will, of course, be absolutely accurate for
all conditions and samples. They will always vary somewhat on account of the variation in the size of the seeds and
the development of the kernel. The conditions of growth are always going to influence these relations to some degree.
Everything considered, these figures should be regarded more as an orientation than as absolute values.
Wherever it has been possible without causing misconceptions abbreviations have been used in the text. They
are explained in the list of abbreviations used. The abbreviations of author names after the botanical names are
also included in this list.
As it appears on the plates every detail of the figures is furnished with a letter referring to the corresponding
part of the explanatory text. Thus × always indicates the embryo of the seed. The author considers it unnecessary
to repeat the explanation of the mark × in connection with the description and explanation of each kind of seed, so
that the explanation of × is stated only (once for all) in this preface.
In the explanatory text no other habitats are commonly given but fields, meadows, and in part those of
horticulture. It should therefore be noted that the term «spread» refers mostly to spreading through the sale of seed material
as grains, grass seed, and horticultural seeds respectively.
At the end of the book is found an index of all the included species of weeds arranged alphabetically according
to their latin names with an addition of the common name in 11 different languages. However, in some cases the
common name used in certain countries is missing. This is not always because the species is absent from the country
in question, but often because the author has been unable to ascertain the name. This is especially the case with
regard to Italy.
The publishing of this work has been made possible through financial support by the government. Support from
private sources has also been rendered. For all of this I want to express my best thanks.
I also want to express my thanks for the assistance which I have otherwise enjoyed during my work on this
publication.
Regarding the translation the author wants to point out that the term field (åker) as here used applies to yearly
cultivated fields of grains, roots, potatoes, etc. The term meadow (eng) as here used applies to cultivated fields of
grass, clovers, etc. not yearly tilled. The term pasture (beite) applies to meadows used mainly for grazing.
Oslo, January 1935.
Emil Korsmo.
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