374 MR. G. BENTHAM ON COMPOSITA. 
Til. SKETCH or THE Primary Divisions or THE ORDER. 
In determining upon the sequence of tribes and subtribes to be 
adopted in our ‘ Genera Plantarum,’ we have here, as efsewhere, en- 
deavoured to avoid all useless changes in the Candollean method 
so generally followed; and we have abandoned some transpositions 
which I had proposed in the ‘ Flora Hongkongensis’ and ‘ Flora 
Australiensis.? I had there, for instance, commenced with the 
Cynaroidee in order to place them in juxtaposition with Verno- 
niacee; but on working out all the allied genera which I had not 
previously examined, I have found that they were as well, if not 
better, placed in the position De Candolle had assigued them. 
As, however, there are a few other important alterations above 
alluded to which appeared to me absolutely essential in order to 
give more definiteness, as well as a more natural character, to 
some of the great divisions of the order, it may be useful to re- 
view shortly the modified characters I would now assign to the 
thirteen tribes we have adopted, referring for the technical synopsis 
to our ‘ Genera Plantarum.’ 
1. Vernoniacee. 
We have reduced the Vernoniacee to those which have uni- 
formly homogamous capitula with hermaphrodite florets never 
yellow. This removes several genera which in minor characters 
also were very exceptional in the tribe. The Pectidez, which have 
not even the style of Vernoniacex, resume their place with the 
Tagetinez under Inuloidee ; the Liabex are transferred to Sene- 
eionidez, notwithstanding their style, which, however, is not abso- 
lutely without example in other genera of that tribe; and Gun- 
delia and Platycarpha form a small subtribe of Arctotidez next to 
Cynaroider. 
Vernoniaceew thus modified are usually perennial herbs or 
shrubs, rarely trees, or very rarely annuals. Their leaves are, 
with the exception of two or perhaps three species, alternate, en- 
tire, toothed, or very rarely lyrately pinnatifid; the involucral 
bracts imbrieate in several rows, except in a very few small ano- 
malous genera, where they are reduced to two equal rows or to a 
small definite number. The capitula are uniformly homogamous, 
with the florets all hermaphrodite, and equally fertile or rarely 
slightly dicecious; they are sometimes reduced to a single floret ; 
and in several genera they are closely clustered, forming a dense 
globular or oblong compound head with or without a common invo- 
