22 Flora of tJie Malayan Peninsula. 



V. elata, Don Prodr. 159. V. javanica, Blume Bijdr. 919. V. acumi- 

 nata, Eoyle 111. Him. Bot. 241. 



At high elevations on the central ridge in Perak, this is said to occur, but I have 

 seen no specimens. 



Order LXI. COMPOSITE. 



Herbs or shrubs, sometimes scandent, rarely trees. Leaves alter- 

 nate, rarely opposite or "whorled ; simple or sometimes compound 

 exstipulate. Florets numerous, small, aggregated in centripetal heads, 

 sessile on the dilated top of the peduncle (receptacle) ; the heads sur- 

 rounded by an involucre of 1- or more-seriate, free or connate bracts ; 

 bracteoles none or reduced to paleate scales or bristles on the recep- 

 tacle ; individual florets all tubular (head discoid), or the outer or all 

 ligulate (head rayed) ; all bi-sexual or the inner bi-sexual or male, the 

 outer female or neuter ; sometimes dioecious. Sepals connate in a 

 calyx-tube, adnate to the ovary ; limb none, or composed of hairs 

 (pappus) or scales. Petals connate in a corolla of two forms : (a) 

 tubular or campanulate, -with 4-5-lobed limb ; lobes valvate with mar- 

 ginal nerves ; (6) ligulate with lobes elongated and connate in a strap- 

 shaped or elliptic ligule. Disk epigynous. Stamens 4-5, inserted 

 within the corolla-tube ; filaments usually free ; anthers basifixed, 

 usually connate (syngenesious) ; connective produced upwards ; cells 

 simple or tailed at the base ; pollen sub-globose, rough. Pistil an 

 inferior 1-celled ovary ; ovule solitary, basal, erect, anatropous, nucleus 

 with one coat ; style slender, normally 2-fid ; the arms (sometimes) 

 connate, linear or sub-terete, naked or pubescent externally or tipped 

 by pubescent cones ; the margins stigmatic. Fruit a dry indehiscent 

 achene (cypsela). Seed erect; testa membranous; albumen none; 

 embryo straight ; cotyledons plano-convex ; radicle short. — Distbib. 

 Universal ; genera about 1,000 ; species about 8,000. 



Corollas of all the florets either tubular to near the mouth or the 

 marginal row ligulate ; style-arms long, distinct, or very short, 

 or the style sub-entire in the sterile florets of heads with hetero- 

 gamous Horets ; stems sometimes woody ; leaves alternate or 

 opposite ; sap never milky : — 



Florets red, purple, or white, never yellow ; all similar (homo- 

 gamous) and tubular, or rarely {Klephantopus) cleft laterally ; 

 involucre of bracts always more than 1-seriate ; pappus pre- 

 sent, usually setaceous, receptacle naked or rarely [Ageratum) 

 paleaceous : — 



Anthers cleft at the base and appendiculate at the apex ; 

 style-arms subulate, hairy ; leaves alternate {Vernoniece) : — 

 Heads distinct, many-flowered ; pappus long, copious, 

 cypselas ribbed . . . . . . . . 1. Vernonia. 



232 



