Taunca.] LXXVIII. composit#. (J. D. Hooker.) 415 
simple, very slender, white, a few inner sometimes longer and stronger, all 
connate at the base into a deciduous ring.—DIstRIB. About 20 species, 
European, African and W. Asian. 
* Achenes not winged. 
+ Heads terminal on the paniculately branched flowering stems. 
1. L. aspleniifolia, DC. Prodr. vii, 181 (Microrhynchus) ; biennial or 
perennial, glabrous, radical leaves sinuate-lobed or pinnatifid, cauline few, 
flowering stems many from the root, branches dichotomous divaricating, heads 
A in. terminal paniculate peduncles bracteate, outer invol. bracts small inner 
linear margins membranous, achenes minute columnar angled and ribbed, ribs 
rough much shorter than the very soft straight white pappus. Microrhynchus 
aspleniifolius, DC.; Clarke Comp. Ind. 276. Prenanthes dichotoma, Wall. Cat. 
3975. P. aspleniifolia, Willd.?; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 404, 
Plains of Inp1a; from the Punjab to Assam and southwards to the Soonderbunds, 
Cirears, Andamans, Birma and Tenasserim. 
Leaves 3-6 in., sessile or shortly petioled, narrowly obovate, lobes minutely toothed. 
Flowering stems ascending, almost naked, 6-18 in. long; peduncles with usually one 
or two subulate bracts; invol. bracts quite glabrous. Achenes ZZ in., pale, very 
narrow; pappus 4 in., deciduous, hairs of about equal length, with no stronger inner 
ones.—De Candolle quotes Hieracium dichotomum of Roxb. Fl. Ind. under this, but no 
such name is published by Roxburgh, though he gave it in mss. Roxburgh describes 
this as perennial or biennial and stoloniferous, which latter I have never seen it to be. 
2. L. chondrilloides, DC. Prodr. vii. 183 (Zollikoferia) ; perennial, 
glabrous, erect, radical leaves rosulate runcinate-pinnatifid lobes numerous very 
unequal much irregularly acutely toothed, cauline sessile auricled irregularly 
toothed or pinnatifid, flowering stems few or many stout dichotomously branched, 
heads terminal j-1 in. long, peduncles bracteate, invol. bracts glabrous outer 
ovate-lanceolate intermediate equalling the oblong-lanceolate inner, achenes 
slender columnar strongly ribbed, ribs scaberulous rather shorter than the soft 
white pappus. Microrhynchus chondrilloides, Clarke Comp. Ind. 277. Sonchus 
Candolleanus, Jaub. & Spach Ill. Pl. Orient. iii. t. 279. Zollikoferia mucronata, 
Boiss. Fl. Orient. iii. 822. 
The Punsas; Mooltan, Edgeworth, low hills at Rawul Pindee, Aitchison. Scinp, 
Stocks, Dalzell, &c.—Distrim. Affghanistan, Persia, Arabia, Egypt. 
Leaves 3-5 in., narrow, subsessile. Flowering branches 6-18 in., often stout, 
leafy at the axils; peduncles stout, thin, bracteoles ovate toothed; invol. bracts 
without membranous white edges, bases at length thickened. Achenes } in. pale; 
outer pappus hairs numerous, excessively slender, very soft, inner few much longer 
nearly 4 in. rigid much stouter but quite smooth. 
3. L. microcephala, Hook. €: annual, small and very slender, sparsely 
villous, radical leaves obovate-spathulate entire or sinuate-lobed, flowering 
stems filiform dichotomously branched, heads } in. long cylindric, peduncles 
capillary ebracteolate, invol. bracts glabrous or puberulous outer minute inner 
linear midrib thickened in fruit, achenes slender linear truncate at both ends, 
striate, much longer than the scanty white pappus. Crepis microcephala, 
Clarke mss. 
Western Trnet; Iskardo, alt. 9000 ft., Clarke. 
Root very slender. Radical leaves 4-1 in., petioled, sparsely pubescent with 
spreading hairs. Flowering stems several, erect 2-7 in., pubescent below, with sessile 
oblong leaves at the lower forks, the upper naked; invol. bracts 6-8 with narrow 
white margins, hardened in fruit. Achenes j in. dark brown when ripe, outer 
slightly curved; pappus ji in. very soft, white, persistent,—I refer this to Launea 
