980 Compositae. 
branches rather numerous, spreading, decumbent or ascending. 
Leaves spathulate or obovate, rounded or obtuse, mucronulate atten- 
uate at the base into the short petiole, lanate especially on the 
margins and beneath, sometimes glabrate above, 1,5—2 em long. 
Capitula campanulate, 3 mm long, sessile in small dense terminal 
and subterminal shortly spiciform sessile clusters. Scales of the 
involucre 2—3-seriate; inner ones oval-oblong, subacute, nearly 
glabrous; outer ones lanate, shorter, margins scarious, midrib green 
not reaching the apex. Bisexual flowers 4—5. Female florets very 
numerous. Achenes oblong, slightly compressed, papillose-glandular, 
otherwise glabrous. — Flow. March to April. 
N. d. N. v. Often a common plant in sandy and waste places. 
Local name: ravi. 
Also known from Tropical Africa to Punjab and China, Japan and Australia. 
4 
558. (18.) Helichrysum Gaertn. 
Involucre from broadly hemispherical to narrow-ovoid or cylin- 
drical, the bracts imbricate in several rows, either entirely or their 
laminae rigidly or opaquely scarious or petal-like, more or less 
spreading or rarely appressed. Receptacle flat, convex or almost 
conical, without scales (or very rarely a few in the centre amongst 
sterile florets). Flowers either all hermaphrodite, tubular, and 5 rarely 
4-toothed, or a few in the circumference (very rarely 1 or 2 outer 
rows) female, slender but not longer than the others, 2 or 3-toothed, 
a few of the central ones sometimes sterile. Anthers with fine tails. 
Style-branches nearly terete, truncate or rarely with small conical 
tips. Achenes angular, terete or slightly compressed, not contracted 
at the top, glabrous papillose or rarely silky-villous. Pappus of 
capillary bristles simple or more or less barbellate or plumose at 
the end, not distinctly plumose from the base, those of the female 
flowers often fewer or rarely wanting. -— Herbs undershrubs or 
shrubs, with leafy stems, usually more or less clothed with cottony 
wool. Leaves alternate or the lower ones very rarely opposite, 
entire. Flowers yellow, the laminae of the involucral bracts usually 
white, yellow, brown or pink, often varying in all these colours 
with intermediate shades in the same species. 
A large genus represented in most warm and temperate regions of the 
globe, especially numerous in S. Africa and Australia. 
A. Involueral-scales erect, little or no longer-than 
thes flowers) « =) di-e!+o: fae eel tele je a welne wily gels (COUR LO canna 
B. Intermediate involucral-scales longer than the 
AOWETHyiesct lia prada. athe s, Siete -.« « 2. . Billardieri: 
