27. COMPOSIT.E. 



103 



1. Lactuca salig^na, L. 



Willnic Lettuce. Glabrous, stiff, 

 erect biennial, often branchinti 

 from the l)ase : leaves narrow 

 vitli a prominent white midrib, 

 the lowest ones usually runcinate- 

 pinnatisect with linear or lanceo- 

 late lobes, the upper ones entire, 

 linear, erect, clasping the stem 

 by 2 acute auricles ; flowerheads 

 clustered alono; the stem and the 

 short branches, each head con- ^rt' 

 taining 8-12 yellow flowers ; akenes >*■ 

 dark, shorter than the slender 

 white beak ; pappus silky. 



Near Wolselev ; locallv called 

 ThLstle.''— Nov.' - Feb.— 

 western Asia. 



"Irish 

 Europe : 



33. SoNCHus, L. 



Involucral bracts numerous, un- 

 equal, overlapping, conical after 

 flowering ; flowers all ligulate and 

 very numerous in the liead : akenes 

 compressed, ribbed longitudinally, 

 without beak; pappus of simple, 

 silky hairs; receptacle naked. 



Leaves with acute auricles; akenes wrinkled 



Leaves with roinided auricles : akenes almost 



smooth 



Lactuca saligrna. 



jS'. olcracctis 1 



,S'. 



1. 



Sonchus oleraceus. 



fispcr 2 



Sonchus oleraceus, 



L. Coinii'.on Soictliisfle. Erect 

 annual, with a thick, hollow 

 stem, glabrous or with a few 

 glandular hairs near the sum- 

 mit ; lower leaves runcinate, lobes 

 irregulai-ly and sharply toothed, 

 with winged petioles; stem- 

 leaves runcinate, or the upper- 

 mo.st lanceolate, clasping the stem 

 with acute or acuminate auricles; 

 heads cor.vmbose, sometimes um- 

 bellate; involucre glabrous; 

 akenes brown, oboval - oblong, 

 ribbed lengthwise and wrinkled 

 transversely; flowers yellow. 



A common weed of cidtivation. 

 -July - Dec. — Almo.st cosmopoli- 

 tan. 



2. S. asper, All. Hough 

 ^iiwth'ixtlr . Resembles the pre- 



