346 COMPOSIT& (Harv.) [Senecio. 
CXVII. SENECIO, L. 
Heads either discoid-homogamous or radiate-heterogamous ; ray-fl. 
ligulate, female. Invol, uniseriate, rarely quite nude at base, usually 
more or less calycled ; invol. sc. frequently with withered or dark tips, 
membrane-edged, often 2-nerved. Lecept. nude or honey-combed. Style 
of the disc fl. with truncate branches, hispid at the tip. <Achenes terete, 
truncate or slightly tapering at the summit. Pappus pluriseriate, pilose, 
caducous, the bristles straight, very slender, roughish. DC. Prodr. 6, 
341. Also Brachyrhynchos, Less. D@.1.¢. 437. 
A vast, cosmopolitan genus, extremely. varied in habit, consisting of annuals, a 5 
perennials, shrubs, or small trees. Leaves alternate. Flowers yellow or purple. '* 4 ~, 
Inflorescence various. Name from sever, an old man; alluding to the usually white, 
hair-like pappus. I have attempted a redistribution of the Cape species, in 12 sec- 
tions, which are meant to be natural groups: they are not always easily definable. 
The same indefiniteness attaches to the specific characters of many, and with fuller 
materials I should probably have reduced to varieties several that are here retained. 
§ 1. Annur. Root annual. Stem herbaceous, mostly branched, erect or diffuse. 
Inflorescence diffusely panicled or subcorymbose. Heads rarely discoid ; mostly 
radiate, the rays yellow or purple. (Sp. 1-27.) ; 
(a.) Heads discoid.—(Leaves bluntly pinnatifid, glabrate) (1) vulgaris. 
(6.) Heads radiate. Ray-flowers yellow : 
* Glabrati: glabrous or sparsely hispidulous : 
Leaves sessile, expanded, entire or pinnatifid (with broad lobes) : 
Inv. conspicuously calycled at base : 
Leaves fleshy, oblong-obovate, obtuse, 
denticulate: — -..- <0. ses see: vas. (2). Maritimus, 
Lys. not fleshy, oblong, toothed or pinnatifid : 
Inv. 3-4 1. long; achenes striate, 
Inv. 2 Llong; ach.canous,notstriate (4) laxus. 
Lys. lanceolate, tapering at base ... (5) ruderalis, 
Iny. nude at base, or nearly so: 
Leaves incised or pinnatifid, the lobes 
subentire ... 
Lys. deeply pinnatisect, lobes sharply 
. 
(6) abruptus. 
toothed ... ... ... 2. 1. ... (7) Comsanguineus 
Leaves (lower) distinctly petioled, simple or lyrate, with broad lobes : 
Inv, nude at base, or nearly so : 
Lower and medial lvs. petioled, orbi- 
cular, lobed or lyrate: upper sessile, 
pinnatifid, orentire ... ... ... (8) repandus. 
Lower leaves petioled, cordate; upper 
: 
cordate, clasping ... ... ... ... (10) lobelioides. 
Invol. calycled; leaves obovate or oblong, 
crenate, long-stalked ... ... 
ie ae eee, Lessingii. 
Inv. calycled ; upper leaves pinnatifid : 
Leaf-lobes 5-9 pair, toothed; rays long (11) erysimoides. 
Leaf-lobes 3-4 pair, entire ; san Atte! ( 2) cardaminifolius. 
Leaves either all narrow-linear, or pinnatisect or 
multifid, with narrow-linear segments and lobes: 
Iny. nude at base, or nearly so: 
Leaves bipinnati-partite ... ... ... (13) sophioides. 
Leaves linear, quite entire ... ... (14) tenellus. 
Inv. calycled : 
Erect : lvs. either linear, or pinnatisect (15) levigatus. -_ 
Diffuse : lvs. bipinnatifid or multifid (16) matricaricfolins. 
Sa? See 2 
Ver Lef frlit. Pupe ei? 
