208 LXX. COMPOSITA. 
Pappus hair-like, very soft, soon falling off.— FV. Cap. ui. p. 
526. 
Annual or perennial, mostly glabrous. Stems much-branched, rigid. 
Heads generally panicled.—2 species, dispersed. 
150. TARAXACUM, Hall. 
Heads many-flowered. Involucre double, the outer scales 
(or calycle) small, eithe? erect or spreading, inner 1-seriate, 
erect, all frequently callous-tipped. Receptacle nude. Achenes 
oblong, striate, muricate on the striz or spiny near the apex, 
produced into a long, slender beak. Pappus pilose, multise- 
riate.—F'l. Cap. iii. p. 526. 
Stemless herbs, with crowded radical, entire or runcinate, mostly glabrous 
radical leaves, and 1-headed, nude scapes.—T. fulvipilis, H., a minute 
species, was found on Los Tafelberg by Drege. 
151. MICRORHYNCUS, Less. 
Heads several-flowered. Involucre cylindrical, the scales 
membrane-edged, the outer much shorter, imbricate. Re- 
ceptacle nude. Achenes 4—-5-angled, subrostrate (beak very 
short), ribbed and furrowed, the ribs smooth or cross-ridged. 
Pappus copious, pilose.—F7. Cap. ii. p. 527. 
Glabrous perennials.—M. Dregeanus, DC., found at Natal, has long, 
trailing stems, sometimes 8-10 feet long, rooting at intervals. Leaves 
tufted at the nodes, obovate, denticulate ; pedicels scarcely uncial, among 
the leaf tufts ; flowers yellow. 
152. SONCHUS, Linn. 
Heads many-flowered. Involucre imbricate. | Achenes 
wingless, compressed, beakless, longitudinally ribbed, the ribs 
often cross-ridged or muricate. Pappus soft, very white, of 
very slender, multiseriate hairs.— #7. Cap. i. p. 527. 
Annuals or perennials. Leaves entire or pinnatisect, runcinate or lyrate. 
Flowers yellow.—4 native species, perennial ; and S. oleraceus, the common 
Sowthistle of Europe, a weed everywhere. 
153. HIERACIUM, Linn. 
Heads many-flowered. Involucre ovate, often cylindrical, 
composed of linear, obtuse or acuminate, 2-many-seriate, im- 
bricate scales. Receptacle nude. Achenes 5-angled, sub- 
striate, beakless, clavate oblong or fusiform. Pappus persistent, 
l-seriate, rigid, of rough, often discoloured, bristles.—¥7. 
Cap. ij. p. 529. 
A vast cosmopolitan genus, of which there are 2 Cape species. Leaves, 
in our species, chiefly radical; stem branched, several- or many-headed. 
