51. Lactuca.] 78. COMPOSITJE. 



1. L. polycephala, DC. 



Erect 1 ft. hig-h or with many spreading stems and then somewhat 

 resembling- Crepis acaidis. Stems giabrous striate often sub-dichoto- 

 moixsly branched, sometimes corymbose above with linear amplexicaul 

 and sagittately auricled leaves 1-3" long, entire or with sharp teeth 

 or dissected. Heads yellow, becoming globose in fruit. Invol. bracts 

 about 8, erect in flower, •25" long, lanceolate-oblong with scarious 

 margins. Cypsele "1-*13" or inchiding the distinct slender beak 

 •15--16" long, prominently closely winged or sharply ridged. Pappus 

 short Avhite with very fine hairs. 



Specimens have been obtained from the north and west of the Northern Area, 

 also Purneah, iLurz ! FL, Fr. June-Feb. 



L. somewhat tapering and widest at the base, sometimes distinctly lanceolate, 

 radical often 4-" long, lateral nerves fine wavy, forming loops parallel to midrib. 



2. L. scariola, L., var. sativa, or L. sativa, L., is the garden lettuce, largely 



cultivated in India in the c.s. 

 L, seariola is a native of the Western Himalaya and Tibet. 



52. LAUNiEA, Cass. 



Perennial giabrous herbs Avith milky, visually yellow, juice. Leaves 

 chiefly radical, sinuate-lobed or pinnatifid rarely only denticulate, 

 often spinulose-toothed. Heads racemose or paniculate, solitary or 

 fascicled, sometimes subsessile on the rhachis, all ligvilate and homo- 

 gamous. Involucre camj)anvilate or cylindric, bracts many- seriate, 

 inner subequal, outer various often small, midrib or keel often 

 thickened in friiit. Anther-bases sagittate with setaceous auricles. 

 Style-arms slender. Cypseles narrow subterete angled or slightly 

 flattened, rarely winged, truncate both ends or rarely emarginate, 

 ribbed ; ribs 4-5 very stout and close, sometimes narrowly winged or 

 2-grooved, truncate each end. Pappus copious, hairs many-seriate, 

 very slender, white, connate at the base into a deciduous ring. 



A. Stems stoloniform, rooting at the nodes :— 



Heads solitary or clustered at the nodes . . . . 1. pinnatifida. 



B. Heads not stoloniform : — 



Heads sub-racemose, solitary or clustered on the rhachis . . 2. nudicaulis. 

 Heads terminal on tlie pauiculately branched inflorescence . 3. aisplenifolia. 



1. L. pinnatifida, Cass. 



A slender herb with long jjrocumbent stems rooting at all the nodes, 

 where they bear a tuft of entire or toothed leaves and very short 

 flowering stems. Peduncles •5-1" long with many bracteoles. 

 Involucre •5-'6" long, outer bracts short broadly ovate, inner linear- 

 lanceolate. Cypsele '2" subterete Avith 4-6 thick rounded minutely 

 rugulose ribs. Pappus •25-'3", soft, white. 



On the sands of the Orissa coast from Konarak (Puri) southwards! Fl. June- 

 Sept. 



Root-leaves 1-3" often pinnatifid-sinuate, others (at nodes) sometimes only •3-2" 

 subentire or toothed or larger ones sinuate or runcinate-piunatifid. 



It is one of the sand-binding plants. 



2. L. nudicaulis, Les. 



A glabi'ous herb 6-8" high with nearly naked sub-erect simple or 

 branched flowering stems from a rosette of radical leaves, or stems 



