FERNALD. — GENUS PECTIS. 69 



Poiret/ who discussed five of the species already mentioned (omitting 

 P. minuta and P. prostrata) and described an additional one, P. fascic- 

 ulata ^ from an unknown habitat. P. pinnata, Lam. he retained doubt- 

 fully in the genus, and P. punctata, Jacq. he kept distinct from P. linifolia, 

 L., describing the pappus of the latter as "deux polls roides et piquans," or 

 in the ray-akenes " trois polls tres-ouverts," while the pappus of the former 

 he describes as " deux filets setaces " ; yet apparently Poiret had not seen 

 this species and his description was drawn directly from Jacquin. 



In 1816 Lagasca founded the genus Lorentea,^ distinguished geueri- 

 cally from Pedis by the character, ''pappus paleaceo-setaceus, paleis 

 pluribus, iuEequalibus." The original species, L. prostrata fi'ora Cuba, 

 has subsequently been identified ^ with P. humifusa. 



Cassini in 1817 described the genus Cryptopetalon ^ with one species, 

 C. ciliare from Peru. The genus was distinguished by the " aigrette . . . 

 composee de squamellules nombreuses, pluriseriees, inegales, filiformes, 

 fortement barbellulees, roides comme des crins, rousses, entre-griffees a la 

 base." In the same year he founded the genus GJdhonia^ with one 

 ;ies, C. glaucescens. This genus Cassini distinguished from Pedis by 

 its paleaceous pappus, while in true Pedis, he argued, the pappus is of 

 " squamellules subtriquetres, subulces, cornees, parfaitement lisses. Ainsi, 

 les pedis punduta et linifolia doivent demeurer dans le genre Pedis ; 

 mais les pedis humifusa, prostrata, et probablement le ciliaris, doivent 

 eutrer dans le genre Glithonia." 



The collections made by Humboldt and Bonpland during the great 

 scientific expedition headed by Humboldt, contained at least four species 

 of the genus Pedis (of which Ohthonia was made synonymous), and 

 these were described in 1820.'^ The characterization of the involucre, 

 which had formerly been described as pentaphyllous, was extended in the 

 generic description to include forms with 8 or 10 bracts, but the pappus 

 character was limited to aristiform pales ('' Akenia linearia, triangulari- 

 compressa, paleis compluribus aristseformibus coronata"^). Of the four 

 species described two were from Mexico and two from New Granada ; 



1 Diet. V. 119-121. 



2 Poir. 1. c. 120. 



3 Lag. Gen. et Sp. Nov. 28. 

 * Sprang. Syst. iii. 572. 



5 Bull. Soc. Philom. (1817) 12, & Diet. Sci. Nat. xii. (1818) 123. 



c Bull. Soc. Philom. (1817) 33, & Diet. Sci. Nat. ix. (1817) 173, 174. 



7 HBK. Nov. Gen. & Sp. iv. 261-264. 



8 HBK. 1. c. 261. 



