﻿COMPOSITE 
  FAMILY 
  251 
  

  

  1. 
  L. 
  autumnalis 
  L. 
  Scape 
  usually 
  branching, 
  5-15 
  in. 
  high, 
  

   bracted 
  ; 
  peduncles 
  enlarged 
  above. 
  Rootstock 
  truncate. 
  Heads 
  

   lj-1 
  in. 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  diameter; 
  involucre 
  top-shaped 
  or 
  bell-shaped. 
  

   Pappus 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  of 
  tawny 
  hairs. 
  Fields 
  and 
  roadsides, 
  

   especially 
  N.E. 
  Naturalized 
  from 
  Europe. 
  

  

  XVII. 
  TARAXACUM 
  Haller 
  

  

  Stemless 
  perennial 
  or 
  biennial 
  herbs. 
  Leaves 
  in 
  a. 
  flattish 
  

   tuft, 
  pinnately 
  cut 
  or 
  runcinate. 
  Head 
  many-flowered, 
  large, 
  

   solitary, 
  yellow, 
  borne 
  on 
  a 
  hollow 
  scape, 
  which 
  is 
  short 
  at 
  

   first 
  but 
  lengthens 
  after 
  flowering. 
  Involucre 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  

   single 
  row 
  of 
  long, 
  erect 
  inner 
  scales, 
  and 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  much 
  shorter 
  

   ones 
  outside 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  ones. 
  Akenes 
  cylin- 
  

   drical 
  or 
  spindle-shaped, 
  with 
  4-5 
  rough 
  ribs, 
  the 
  apex 
  taper- 
  

   ing 
  into 
  a 
  bristle-like 
  beak 
  which 
  bears 
  a 
  short, 
  broadly 
  conical 
  

   tuft 
  of 
  soft 
  white 
  hairs. 
  

  

  1. 
  T. 
  offlcinale 
  Weber. 
  DANDELION. 
  Outer 
  involucre 
  reflexed; 
  

   inner 
  involucre 
  closing 
  over 
  the 
  head, 
  after 
  the 
  flowers 
  are 
  withered, 
  

   and 
  remaining 
  shut 
  for 
  some 
  days, 
  then 
  opening 
  and 
  allowing 
  the 
  

   akenes 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  globular 
  head. 
  Root 
  stout, 
  bitter, 
  medicinal. 
  Young 
  

   leaves 
  eaten 
  as 
  a 
  pot-herb 
  (" 
  greens 
  ") 
  in 
  spring 
  the 
  plant 
  often 
  cul- 
  

   tivated 
  for 
  the 
  leaves 
  by 
  market-gardeners. 
  

  

  XVIH. 
  SONCHUS 
  L. 
  

  

  Annual 
  or 
  perennial. 
  Leaves 
  mostly 
  toothed 
  or 
  pinnately 
  

   cut, 
  prickly 
  margined. 
  Heads 
  in 
  corymbs 
  or 
  panicles 
  ; 
  bracts 
  

   in 
  several 
  series, 
  the 
  outer 
  shorter 
  ; 
  receptacle 
  naked. 
  Flowers 
  

   yellow, 
  rays 
  truncate, 
  5-toothed 
  at 
  the 
  apex. 
  Akenes 
  oval 
  to 
  

   oblong, 
  compressed, 
  ribbed, 
  truncate 
  at 
  the 
  apex; 
  pappus 
  of 
  

   numerous 
  soft 
  white 
  hairs.* 
  

  

  1. 
  S. 
  oleraceus 
  L. 
  Sow 
  THISTLE. 
  Annual; 
  stem 
  erect, 
  branched, 
  

   smooth, 
  2-6 
  ft. 
  high. 
  Leaves 
  spiny-toothed, 
  the 
  lower 
  long-petioled, 
  

   very 
  irregularly 
  cut 
  or 
  pinnatifid, 
  the 
  upper 
  clasping 
  by 
  an 
  eared 
  

   base. 
  Involucre 
  downy 
  when 
  young. 
  Akenes 
  channeled 
  and 
  trans- 
  

   versely 
  wrinkled. 
  In 
  waste 
  places 
  on 
  very 
  rich 
  soil.* 
  

  

  2. 
  S. 
  asper 
  Vill. 
  SPINY 
  Sow 
  THISTLE. 
  Annual 
  ; 
  stem 
  erect, 
  

   smooth, 
  branched 
  but 
  little, 
  2-6 
  ft. 
  high. 
  Leaves 
  undivided, 
  spatu- 
  

   late 
  to 
  oblanceolate, 
  fringed 
  with 
  spiny 
  teeth; 
  the 
  lower 
  narrowed 
  

   into 
  a 
  petiole, 
  the 
  upper 
  clasping 
  by 
  an 
  eared 
  base, 
  the 
  ears 
  rounded. 
  

  

  