442 POLYGAMiA suPERFLUA. Verbesina. 



and in various other parts of India, for the same purpose. In 

 1800, the seeds were received into the Botanic garden from 

 H. Colebrooke, Esq. the resident at the Court of the Berar 

 Raja, and from Mr. Heyue at Bangalore. 



The usual season for cultivating this plant, is during the 

 cool months, between October and March. 



Stem annual, erect, round, harsh, with white, slender, 

 curved bristles. Branches opposite, expanding ; the height 

 of the whole plant, in a good soil, about three feet; the parts 

 exposed to the sun tinged with purple. Leaves opposite, 

 stem-clasping, linear-lanceolate, with cordate, almost perfoli- 

 ate bases, remotely serrate, somewhat harsh but not so much 

 so as the stem and branches ; from four to six inches long, 

 and from one to two broad at the base. Peduncles terminal, 

 generally two or three together, though sometimes solitary, 

 one-flowered, round, hairy ; from three to six inches long. 

 Flotvers large, beautiful, of a bright lively yellow, inodorous. 

 Calyx common, simple, five-leaved ; leujlets ovate, villous. 

 Hermaphrodite florets numerous in the centre, five-toothed. 

 Female florets about eight or ten in the circumference, broad 

 tongue-shaped, three-toothed. Seeds of both the hermaphro- 

 dite and female florets smooth, dark, of a blackish brown 

 colour, nearly four-sided, with the angles rounded and taper- 

 ing to the base. Receptacle convex, chatfy. Chaff concave, 

 one to each floret embracing the exterior side of the seed. 

 Those of the female florets larger. 



5. V. Lavenia. Fl. Zeyl. 310. 



Annual, erect, hairy. Leaves opposite, and alternate, pe- 

 tioled, from cordate to oblong, three-nerved, serrate, hairy. 

 Seeds of the disk two-horned, those of the ray three. 



Lavenia erect a. Willd. iii. 1724. 



Pu-tumba. Rheed. Mai. x. t. 63. a bad figure, and that 

 of Burman's Zeyl. t. 42. is still worse. 



An annual, a native of dry rubbish, and lands that have 

 lately been in cultivation. It flowers most part of the year. 



