NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 2 
2nd. LasraTirLor# having the hermaphrodite flowers, divided into two lips—Of 
this division the Neilgherry Flora furnishes no representative. 
3rd. LicuLiriorz all the flowers hermaphrodite, with the petals split along one 
side, resembling the ray florets of the first class or suborder. ‘These primary divisions again 
are divided into 8 tribes, ee 
1. Vernoniacce style cylindrical, its arms long and subulate, occasionally short 
and blunt, covered all oVer with bristles. 
2. Hupatoriacca’ style cylindrical, its arms ope and clavate with a papillose sur- 
face on the outside near the end. 
3. Asteroidee style cylindrical, its arms linear flaton the outside equally and 
finely downy on the inside. 
4, Senecionideee style cylindrical its arms linear fringed at the point, generally 
truncate, but sometimes extended beyond the fringe into a cone or appendage of some sort. 
5. Cinaree style thickened upwards and usually fringed at the tumour. 
6. Mutisiacee style cylindrical, somewhat tumid near the apex, its arms usually 
blunt or truncated, very convex on the outside, and covered, at the upper part, with fine 
uniform hairiness, or absolutely bald. 
7. Nasuviacee style never tumid branches long linear truncate fringed only at 
the point. 
8. Cichoracce style cylindrical branches linear truncate equally pubescent. These 
tribes are again subdivided into subtribes and divisions. 
This arrangement is ingenious and often succeeds in bringing together very 
natural groups, but seems to me to labour under the disadvantage of being constructed on 
too narrow a foundation, a few, and these often almost inappreciable, variations of the style 
and stigma seem scarcely sufficient for the support of such a gigantic superstructure as is 
raised upon them, the more so, as but little practice is required to furnish exceptions, not easily 
got over, in every tribe. It is however the last method which has been proposed and what 
is of perhaps greater weight we have now a complete monograph of the order constructed on 
it, whence, for the present at least,it is generally adopted by Botanists. And they are under 
very great obligations to the late accomplished professor DeCandolle for his untiring appli- 
cation in reducing to regular form that which, previous to his labours, was a perfect chaos. 
It must not however be overlooked that tke original plan did not originate with him, but 
with Cassini and Lessing, especially the latter, whose divisions he has closely followed in the 
arrangement cf his materials. In working out these it seems to be the general opinion of. 
- Botanists that he has needlessly multiplied genera, an error not at all times easily avoided, 
but not on that account the less to be regretted, as the example of so great a proficient in the 
science can scarcely fail to be extensively followed by the less competent observers. 
When writing an account of this family for publication in my Illustrations of 
Indian Botany I made a list of all the genera found in India and with them prepared a 
“ synopsis of the genera of Indian Composite” In this synopsis the characters are some- 
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