190 COMPOSITiE. Brachtcomk. 



34. BRACHYCOME. Cass. diet. 37. p. 464 (5-491 ; DC. prodr. 5. p. 

 305, ^- 7. />. 276 ; Benth. enum. pZ. Hugel. p. 59. 



Heads many-flowered ; the ray-flowers pistillate, in a single series ; those 

 of the disk tubular, perfect. Scales of the campanulate or hemispherical in- 

 volucre in 2-3 series, appressed, with membranaceous margins. P^eceptacle 

 conical, somewhat alveolate. Achenia compressed, or nearly terete, crowned 

 with an inconspicuous squamellate setulose pappus. — Low herbs, with the 

 habit of the annual species of Bellis ; chiefly perennial, and natives of Aus- 

 tralia. Rays white. 



1. B. xanthocomoides ? (Less.): diffusely branched from the base; the 

 branches somewhat pubescent with appressed hairs, naked at the summit and 

 bearing solitary heads ; leaves nearly glabrous, entire; the lower oblong-spa- 

 tulaie ; those of the branches lanceolate-linear, sessile ; scales of the involucre 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute, with broad scarious margins. — Less. syn. p. 192, 

 Sfin Linneea, 9. p. 265? 



Texas. Dnimmond ! (v. sp. in herh. B. D. Greene.) — The specimen which 

 we describe was mixed with some other plants in Drummond's Texan col- 

 lection, and not numbered. The plant resembles Bellis integrifolia in aspect, 

 but is smaller, and the heads not half the size : the involucre is very similar ; 

 the scales in 2 series, herbaceous in the centre. Rays about 3 lines long, 

 •white. Corolla of the disk cyathiform, expanded, deeply 5-toothed, the pro- 

 per tube very short. Style in the disk-flowers with broadly oblong flat 

 branches, bordered with very thick stigmatic lines, and terminated with a 

 short and flat triangular minutely hairy appendage. Achenia (immature) 

 somewhat compressed and obovate, minutely hispid, crowned with a single 

 series of distinct squamellate-setulose bristles, scarcely exceeding the short 

 hairs of the achenium. We have not seen the lower leaves; and Lessing 

 does not describe the achenia or the style of his plant, which was collected in 

 Mexico by Shiede. Our plant appears to accord with the Australian Bra- 

 chycomes, and only differs from the annual species of Bellis in the minute 

 pappus ; and when we consider that a perennial Spanish Bellis (B. papulosa, 

 Boiss.) exhibits a similar pappus, it is evident that the present genus scarcely 

 deserves to be distinguished. 



Div. 2. Chrtsocome^:, DC. — Heads either heterogamous and radi- 

 ate, or homogamous and discoid (both forms sometimes occurring in the same 

 genus) ; the rays and disk-flowers yellow and unchanging. Receptacle never 

 chaffy. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE GENEKA. 



Subdiv. 1. Gymnosperme^. — Pappus none. 



35. Gymnosperma. Rays few, very small. 



Subdiv. 2. AcHYRiDE^. — Pappus chaffy or coronifomi. 



36. Amphiachyris. Achenia of the disk abortive, the narrow scales of the pappus 



united at the base ; of the ray fertile, with a short pappus. 



37. GuTTiERREZiA. Achenia of tlic disk and ray fertile. 



Subdiv. 3. SoLiDAGiNES. — Pappus similar in the disk and ray (when the latter 

 is present), simple, of capillary or rigid, rarely squamellate or awn-like bristles. 



