I 



78. COMPOSITJE. [3. Adbnostemma. 



Leaves excessively variable in shape from linear to elliptic, ovate or 

 obovate, entire or toothed, sessile or attenuate into a short petiole, 

 iisually "7-2" long, always pubescent or hairy. Heads '25" oblong- 

 peduncled in dense or very loose panicles with light purple flowers. 

 Involucre narrowly campanulate "2", bi'acts mostly linear aciiminate 

 spinulose-tipped. Fruit -05" long not ribbed, hairy, pappus '15 --17" 

 caducous with an outer ring of short persistent hairs or bristles. 



A common weed of waste ground. Fl., Fr. most of the year except the h.s. 



Lower leaves sometimes 3" in stout plants. Corolla-lobes linear-oblong-. Anthers 

 shortly' tailed and apiculate. 



TheVhole plant is used in decoction to promote perspiration in fever. The seed 

 is used as an antlielmintic and nlso given to horses as a tonic. The flowers are 

 administered (internally^ in conjunctivitis (Xadl-anu), The leaves are eaten as a 

 pot-herb {Campbell). 



2. ELEPHANTOPUS, L. 



Herbs with alternate leaves, radical rosulate (in our species). 

 Heads (partial) of 2-5 flowers collected into a dense terminal cluster, 

 bracts of each j^artial head about 8 dry, flat or conduplicate. Corolla 

 purple, limb 4-5-lobed with the lobes unilateral and limb cleft on the 

 other side. Style arms subulate. Fruit truncate, 10-ribbed. Papi)us 

 with I'igid slender hairs dilated below, or chaflf-like. 



1. E. scaber, L. Samdulan, H., Beng. ; Manjui^juti, S. 



An erect rigid herb 8-18" high with rosulate or clustei-ed and erect 

 obovate or oblanceolate radical leaves 4-6" long and slender dicho- 

 tomously branched strigosely liairy stems 8-18" high with few 

 alternate sessile or amplexicaul leaves 1-3" long. Clusters of partial 

 heads easily recognisable from the conspicuous cordate leafy bracts, 

 usually 3 in number, and giving the cluster a three-cornered appear- 

 ance. Fruit vis" long, brown, ribbed, hair}-, with an oblique callus 

 at the base, papjius of 4-5 rigid scabrid hairs "2" long. 



Vei-y common in open ground and under partial shade, in all districts. Fls. 

 Sept.-Nov. Fr. Oct.-Dec' 



Leaves serrate or crenate, haii'y both sides, sec. n. 7-10 and tertiaries raised 

 beneath. Radical leaves with a slender attenuate base or petiole, with sheathing 

 base. Leafy bracts of general head "i-'S" long, bracts of partial heads lanceolate 

 spinose-tipped, inner "i-'o" long. 



3. ADENOSTEMMA, Forst. 



Herbs Avith leaves mostly opposite. Flowers never yellow, in 

 homogamous corymbose heads. Involucral bracts many, narrow 

 herbaceous, sometimes connate ; receptacle flat naked. Corollas all 

 equal tubiilar with short tube and campanxTlate^ 5-toothed limb. 

 Anthers with a glandular tip, base obtuse. Style arms elongate, 

 dilated above. Fruits obtuse, 5 ribbed, glandular Avith 3-5 short 

 rigid pappus hairs wliich are often clavate. 

 1. A Yiscosum, Forst. Syn. Ageratum aquaticum, F.I. 



A weak herb, often with a deciTuibent rooting base, corymbosely 

 branched above 18"-24" high. Leaves from linear or oblong-lanceo- 

 late to broadly ovate or cordate, sessile or petioled, crenate or serrate. 

 Heads rather pretty, S-d'' diam., white or sonicAvhat rose-coloured, 

 remarkable from their very long linear- clavate Avhite style-branches. 



461 



