IQ 2o] SHERFF— TARAXACUM 35* 



Lon. et var. subscaposum Lunell (ex synon. L. Taraxacum Britton, 

 etc.), Amer. Midi. Nat. 5:31. 191 7; L. mexicanum Rydb., Fl. 

 Rocky Mts. 1034. 1917. 



Herba plerumque maiuscula, 5-50 cm. (rarissime ' - 1 . 20 m.") 

 alta. Radix crassa, simplex vel multiceps, fusee corticata, collo 

 vix squamato, large lanigero vel raro glabro. Folia nunc terrae 

 adpressa, nunc suberecta, viridia, plerumque infra et in nervo medio 

 sparse pilosa vel rarius glaberrima, plerumque ampla, plus minusve 

 oblanceolata (7 mm. -15 cm. lata), acuta vel obtusa, versus 

 basim brevius longiusve angustata, rarius large dentata tan turn, 

 plerumque autem variis modis, interdum usque ad nervum medium, 

 runcinato-incisa, lobis latius angustiusve triangularibus vel rarius 

 linearibus, integris vel dentato-fissis, recurvis, saepe lobulis 

 minoribus interiectis, lobo terminali plerumque maiore. Scapi 

 numerosi vel raro singuli, erecti vel adscendentes, crassi (2-7 

 mm.), florendi tempore sub capitulo saltern longe lanigeri, denique 

 raro glabri, floriferi foliis =1= aequilongi, rarius multo breviores vel 

 rnulto longiores. Capitula magna (solum in speciminibus depauper- 

 atis parva), circum 2-2.5 cm. longa et aperta latitudine multo 

 maiore. Tnvolucri foliola numerosa, utriusque seriei ±15-20, 

 griseo- viridia, raro atrata, interdum leviter pruinosa, ecorniculata 

 vel raro corniculis parvis vel rarissime maioribus instructa, linea 

 dorsali fusca nulla. Exterioris seriei foliola interioribus vix 

 latiora, sed paulo breviora, inter se fere aequilonga, iam in ala- 

 bastris adultioribus supra basim renexa, vel raro patula vel unum 

 alterumve eorum vel rarissime plurima semper erecta, linearia 

 (1 .3-3 mm. lata et 12-14 mm. longa) vel rarissime latiora, margine 

 raro indistincte decolorato. Flores numerosissimi, lutei vel raro sub- 

 pallidiores, involucro circum 5-10 mm. longiores. Achaenia parva, 

 3-4 mm. longa, pallide griseo- vel olivaceo-brunnea, supra tuberculis 

 mediocribus longioribusve dense obsita, in cuspidem cylindricam 

 longiusculam et tenuem vel brevissimam et crassam, totius fructus 

 sextam vel rarius tertiam fere partem metientem abruptissime 

 contracta. Rostrum tenue, achaenio duplo vel plus triplo longius. 

 Pappus albus, 6-8 mm. longus, rostro brevior. 



Distribution. — Labrador and North Carolina to Alaska, California, 

 and Mexico, and elsewhere almost throughout the world; indigenous (fide 

 Handel-Mazz.) in meadows of Europe and Western Asia. 



