COMPOSITE. 213 



THeads in racemes : beak of achene ending in a small disc 

 u < bearing the simple pappus hairs . . /. 251. lactuca. 



( Heads solitary on scajjes v 



r Scape thick hollow ; never branched : outer bracts pendu- 



V < loUS p. 250. TARAXACUM. 



(^Scape slender ; inner achenes not beaked 



p. 250. HYPUCHiERIS. 



CENTRATHERUM. f.b.i. 78 i. 



Herbs with alternate stalked toothed leaves, all the 

 florets of a head tubular and similar, purple or white : 

 ribbed achenes, and short scabrid, quickly falling 

 pappus (distinction from VERNONIA). 



Species about 10 mostly India, Malaya and a few also in 

 America and Australia. 



Ccntratherum rcticulatum Benth. ; Wight Herb. Prop. 

 1391!; F.B.I. iii 227, II I. Distinguished from all our 

 COMPOSITE except CARPESIUM by the broad almost 

 leafy involucral bracts, five of which are sufficient to 

 surround the base of the head ; and by the leaves which 

 have the nerves and veins deeply impressed on the 

 upper side, and are coated beneath with white hairs 

 between them. 



Perennial herb with yellowish rhizome from which 

 rise the stems, singly or in clumps. Stem branched or 

 not, terete, usually dark purple in colour and scabrid 

 with short hard whitish hairs on red bases. Leaf-stalks 

 1/16 inch only, broad. Leaves ovate 2 by % inch broad- 

 est near the rounded base, erect and the sides incurved 

 upwards, though the margin slightly recurved; above 

 very rough and parcelled out into small areas by the 

 impressed reticulate veins, and below white between 

 the raised green veins. Heads terminal, solitary : 

 involucre hemispheric : bracts many seriate, the outer 

 like small leaves, the inner progressively narrower with 

 distinct mucro, the innermost scarious narrow-oblong. 

 Florets slender, J^ inch spreading ; lobes % inch by 



