76. COMPOSITJi. [10. Blumea. 



4. B. glomerata, DC. Syn. Conyza fistulosa, Roxh. 



An erect iisiially rather slender annual 8"-2 ft. liig'h -with ellii^tic 

 or obovate or oblanceolate sharply denticiilate leaves, hairy esj^ecially 

 about the mid-rib beneath, glabrescent above; in the smaller plants a 

 simple elongating" stem with solitary and clustered sessile heads with 

 purple bracts and yellow flowers forming- a dense spike above ; in the 

 larger with slender erect or ascending branches similarly bearing- 

 heads of flov/ers which are about 2 -'25" long. 



Dry places such as iilon.ir boundary- and fire-lines. Chota Nagpur, common I 

 Parasnath, Clarke \ Behar, J.T).II.\ Santal Parganas ! Sambalpur ! Probably 

 tliroughout the area. Fl., Fr. Jan.-May. 



L. sessile or narrowed into a slender petiole, lowest attain 4-5" but often much 

 smaller, and gradually becoming smaller and more sessile upwards, often sinuate 

 rarely slightly lobulate. The shining purple bracts and often generally purple 

 tinge of the inflorescence makes it rather a pretty plant. Receptacle glabrous or 

 pilose. Tips of herm. coi-oUa sometimes pilose. Achenes glabrous or pubescent, 

 striate or ribbed. 



Forms with hairy receptacles or ribbed cypseles would be placed by some 

 botanists under B.' numhranacea. I only do so if both characters exist together 

 and are accompanied l)y membranous leaves. 



5. B. atropurpurea, Haines. Svn. B. membranacea, var. gracilis, 



J.D.H.Y 

 An erect strict herb 2-25 ft. high with simple striate purple stem 

 densely glandular-pubescent above and with a few long villi. Leaves 

 simple obovate, often purple, larger at base of stem 3-4" including 

 the short petiole, smaller upwards with sessile decurrent base and 

 becoming bractiform, lower entire and denticulate or sinuate and 

 lyrate, upper narrower and dentate, finely pubescent beneath and with 

 sessile glands, shortly sparsely hairy above. Heads "2" by "IS" broad 

 like those of B. glomerata bvit pedicelled, solitary and clustered 

 towards the end of the stem and of nitmerous slender ascending- 

 branches 2-3" long in the lower part. Outer bracts with purple 

 margins and green or black mid-rib spinose-tipped, inner green, 

 ciliate, Keceptacle glabrous. Corolla lobes with sessile glands. 

 Pappus exceeding the corolla. Achenes minutely pubescent ribbed. 



Glades and open grassy places, Purneah. FL, Fr. Dec- Jan. 



This differs from li. sitbcapUafa {Cuuyza mbcapitafa, JFall.) in the absence of the 

 villous tomentum and in the less "lacerate leaves and the close glandular 

 pubescense. It connects B. glomemta, DC-, and B. lacera, DC. According to 

 diagnoses it might also be B. membra iiacea var. gracilis, but it is entirelj- diffei-ent 

 in general appearance and leaf texture. 



6. B. Wightiana, DC. 



A pleasantly aromatic (smell of hops) usually erect herb with 

 several stems from the root 8-18" high. Leaves at base of stem 

 2-4" long, cauline -7-2" including the petiole, obovate or elliptic and 

 tapering into the petiole, never lobed but margin with small sharp 

 teeth, and sometimes also dentate, both surfaces closely hairy or 

 pubescent (or in one form thinly hairy and glandular). Heads often 

 pale purple small, clustered, or in dense cymes at the top of the stem 

 or in very many floAvered dense narrow panicles, branches of panicle 

 pubescent and glandular as also are the bracts of the involucre. 

 Flowering heads ovoid "2" long by '1" wide or finally cylindric, often 

 dioecious. Corolla pale purple or white at the tip, lobes of herm. fl. 



469 



