16 NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
pappus which is soft delicately filiform and smooth in the former, while it is somewhat 
rigid and rough in the latter. ‘The other points of distinction are fluctuating and less to be 
depended upon, being more or less common to both. 
Sub-tribe Lactucex Receptacle epaliaceous or rarely paliaceous : pappus 
hair-like fugaceous, soft silvery white. 
To this section Lactuca, Sonchus and several other nearly allied genera, in addition to the one 
here represented, belong; the species of the genera Brachyramphus and Youngia have so much the habit of 
Sonchus that they might easily be mistaken but for the achenia which in this tribe, in many instances, 
furnish excellent easily detected generic characters, as the following examples will show. Zactuca achen. 
sublentcular furnished with a filiform beak. Jicrorhyncus achen. oblong, 5-angled beakless. Brachyram- 
phus achen, muricated short beaked neither angled nor ribbed. Youngia achen beakless longitudinally striated. 
Sonchus achien. beakless longitudinally ribbed often transversely muriculate between the ribs. Mulgidium 
acheen beaked, beak dilated, saucer-like at the apex. 
MICRORHYNCUS. 
Capitula several flowered. Achznia 4-rarely 5-angled subrostrate at maturity ; beak wanting in the 
ovary. Coste thick subrugose. Pappus pilose.— Herbaceous perennials, involucrum cylindrical, calyculato- 
imbricate at the base : receptacle naked : flowers yellow. 
To this genus DeCandolle assigns only six species three of which are Indian. The one here figured 
T have added by removing it from the genus Lactucain which he had, perhaps through oversight, erroneously 
placed it, as it certainly does not belong to that genus. The other three species are natives of the plains, one 
is common on the sands near the beach all along the Coromandel Coast. 
HYNCUS GLABRA (R.W. Lactuca glabra __Neilgherries rather common to be met with in flower 
D. e ) Y elahiond stem naked, dichotomously branched at all seasons bu Be ost abundant during the rains 
about equal or a little hat ts 3 the leaves ; leaves from July to Dec inber I have ventured to remove 
elongato-linear, some acute, either entire this plant from the genus in which D. C. placed it, as 
or dentate : capitula coryesiiene ‘long pedicelled cylin- the achenium corresponds seergicls wie the one 
drical 7-8 flowered : involucrum calyculate with lan- and not at all with the other. I e ache- 
ceolate squamelle ; squame 5-6 linear lanceolate nium is si ttened and abruptly ietathened? into a long 
somewhat scariose on the margin, thrice as long as the filiform : in itis pentangular and scarecly 
ealyculus ; ae: five angled obscurely beaked.— _beaked. 
bate tos of - leaves sometimes nearly wanting often- 
er eaves D 3 inches long, 2-4 lines broad.— 
Sub-tribe Hieraciex. | Receptacle epaliaceous : pappus Siliform, rigid, 
fragile, becoming dirty white or yellow. 
Two genera only of this sub-tribe, so far asI can discover, have Indian r tati hich 
ous, as the large genus Hieracium, including nearly 200 species, is to a great extent dite in its habits, and 
therefore one which, a priori, might be expected at least on the Himalayas, if not further south, but does not as 
yet appear to have been met with on these mountains. The genus Mulgedium, on the other hand, furnishes 7 
Indian species out of 23, the total number yet known. Six of these are from the oe range and one, 
that here rep ted, from the Neilgherries. All the species are alpine plants. 
MULGEDIUM. 
Capitula many flowered. Achenia glabrous compressed, often nerved on both sides, attenuated up- 
wards into a beak expanding at the apex into a cup-shaped disk. Pappus one or several series, bristles rigid 
rough, greygish or white. Erect ramous herbs with pinnatifid leaves and racemose or panicled capitula ; invo- 
luerum calyeulately imbricate, that is, the exterior scales are much shorter and subimbrecate, receptate naked, 
ee flowers blue or purple. 
eas J 
