Lactuca. } LXXVIII. compositz. (J. D. Hooker.) ` 411 
narrowly elliptic-lanceolate narrowed into a brown beak }—7 as long as the body. 
Clarke Comp. Ind. 271. Chondrilla (Crepis?) gracilis, Wall. Cat, 3267. 
Neat, Wallich. Kuasa Mrs., alt. 3-5000 ft., De Silva, Ze, Buoran, Griffith. 
A flaccid annual? Leaves 4-6 by 4-4 in., erect, usually quite entire, Flowering 
stems 6-.18 in., few solitary or many from the root. Heads 3-8-fld., erect ; outer invol. 
bracts minute, inner 4-8 linear; ligules yellow. Achenes de in. including the slender 
beak, pale red, much compressed, man y-ribbed ; pappus deciduous, more scanty, brittle, 
and coarser than in L. sagittarioides and polycephala.—The small heads, pappus, and 
cauline leaves simple at the base, at once distinguish this from Z. polycephala, than 
which this has usually far more heads. It appears closely allied to a Java plant of 
Horsfield's named by Miquel Aracium levigatum, which is the Prenanthes levigata of 
Blume (not of Wallich), and Lactuca levigata, DC. 
Van. khasiana, Clarke mss.; heads 4 in. long, achenes A in. beak shorter.—Khasia 
mts., alt. 3-5000 ft., J. D. H. 4 T. T. 
DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 
L. Bentuamu, Clarke Comp. Ind. 273, from Kashmir (Kavang and Karnag, alt. 
12-15,000 ft., Stoliczka) is unknown to me. Clarke describes it as a glaucous herb, 
with dichotomous seapes 4-6 in. high, spathulate oblong entire or obseurely toothed 
3-nerved leaves, cylindric heads with many purple flowers, 8 equal oblong inner 
invol. bracts, small outer, and a 1-seriate dirty-white pappus.—It is not Bentham’s 
new species of Chorisma, which is Crepis gracilipes (p. 396). 
115. PRENANTHES, Linn. 
Glabrous or hispid milky herbs, often tall and slender, sometimes subscan- 
dent. Leaves alternate, usually petioled, sagittate or cordate, pinnatifid or lyrate, 
membranous, petiole often winged, upper narrow sessile or stem-clasping. Heads 
small (slender pendulous and few-fld. in the Indian species), loosely panicled or 
racemed, of various colours, homogamous; fl. all ligulate, Involucre cylindrie ; 
inner bracts long and narrow, 1-2-seriate, equal, thinly herbaceous, unchanged 
after flowering, outer few small; receptacle flat, naked. Achenes narrowly ob- 
long or contracted at both ends, slightly compressed or 3-5-angled, usually ribbed, 
tip with a pappiferous disk ; pappus hairs 2-3-seriate, simple, slender or rigid, 
separately deciduous.—Disrris. Species about 16, N. temperate regions. 
The Indian species referred here to Prenanthes by Bentham (in Gen. Plant.) and 
Clarke (Comp. Ind.) are identical in habit with Section V. of Lactuca, from which 
they are distinguishable only by the achene less suddenly contracted at the tip, and 
less flattened. Z. rapunculoides (p. 407) is perhaps a Prenanthes, 
l. P. Khasiana, Clarke Comp. Ind. 273; slender, erect, glabrous or 
sparsely hairy, leaves long-peduncled, radical deltoid base cordate lower pinnate, 
lateral pinnules petioled terminal simple or 3-lobed, panicle elongate branches 
very slender, heads narrow pendulous cylindric glabrous, flowers 1—4 blueish 
purple, achenes contracted slightly above and below, pappus brown brittle, 
Kuasta Mrs., alt. 56-6000 ft., Griffith, &c. 
Stem 1-4 ft. Leaves membranous, ciliate-toothed, lower 8-10 by 3-4 in. ; pinnules 
2-3 pair, alternate, oblong or ovate-cordate, base equal or very oblique, acute and 
apiculate ; terminal lobe ovate or deltoid, base cordate or hastate; upper pinnatifid ; 
petiole of the radical leaves very slender, 4—8 in., of cauline shorter. Panicles 1—2 ft., 
strict; branches erect, ultimate and peduncles filiform with few small bracts. Heads 
4-3 in. long; outer invol. bracts minute, inner 3-4 linear obtuse. Achenes very nar- 
row, } in., compressed, truncate, brown, ribbed, equalling the scanty pappus.— Habit 
of Lactuca graciliflera. — ` 
2. P. Brunoniana, Wail. Cat. 3278 ; erect, subhispid or glabrous, leaves 
polymorphous simple lobed pinnatifid or pinnate ovate or cordate or deltoid or 
