COMPOSITE. 135 



Leaves very variable both in breadth, shape, and depth of tooth- 

 ing or incision, but generally with scarcely any tendency to become 

 runcinate. Scapes generally decumbent at the base, then erect or 

 ascending, longer than the leaves, 3 inches to 2 feet high, corym- 

 bosely branched in large specimens, simple or with a single branch 

 in small ones. Pericline oblong-turbinate in bud ; phyllaries varying 

 from glabrous to densely woolly, the hairs sometimes olive, some- 

 times nearly black. Achenes about 5 inch long, very little narrowed 

 towards the tip, reddish-brown, slightly roughened with transverse 

 ridges. Plowers bright-yellow, rather smaller than those of a 

 dandelion. 



This plant bears much resemblance to Hypochoeris radicata, but 

 the leaves are narrower, more pointed and more flaccid, generally 

 smoother, and in the broader forms more deeply divided. The phyl- 

 laries are less regularly imbricated and more acute, and there are 

 no membranous pales on the receptacle. The fruit is very different, 

 being destitute of the long beak, with which that of H. radicata is 

 furnished. The ribs are much smoother, the transverse lines longer 

 and not elevated into sharp points. The pappus is single or nearly 

 so, and the stem and peduncles are more slender, 



Var. 3, when growing in alpine situations, is generally mono- 

 cephalous, has the wool on the pedicels and the pericline nearly 

 black : in that state it presents considerable resemblance to some of 

 the Hieracia, but when cultivated the stem branches. Every inter- 

 mediate state between glabrous and hairy pericline and in the latter 

 case between green and black wool may be met with. 



Autumnal Sawh-hit. 



French, Liondent iVAutomne. German, Herhst Lowenzahn. 



GENUS XXXIII— F I R I S. Linn. 



Anthodes many-flowered. Pericline oblong-cylindrical, atte- 

 nuated towards the apex (sometimes strangulated under the 

 pappus after flowering), of 2 series of phyllaries ; those of the 

 inner series equal, imbricated, those of the outer generally re- 

 curved and irregular. Clinanth naked. Achenes prismatic-fusi- 

 form, ribbed and transversely rugose. Pappus deciduous, of 

 denticulated pure white silky hairs, united into a ring at the 

 base, plumose, or the exterior ones simple ; secondary hairs not 

 interwoven. 



Herbs, rough with hooked hairs, having branching leafy stems 

 and undivided or pinnatifid leaves. Anthodes stalked. Plorets 

 yellow, the exterior ones often red on the back. 



The name of this genus of plants comes from iriKpoQ (pikros), bitter, on account of 

 the bitter taste of the species. 



