558 



" The florets of compound flowers are threefold with 

 respect to sex, being either hermaphroditi, perfect, having 

 the organs of both sexes ; female, destitute of anthers ; 

 or neuter, deprived of both organs, and barren." 



(t Tournefort, Vaillant, Ray, and almost every botanist 

 who has treated of this tribe, divide it into three or four 

 orders, some of them adding the aggregate flowers to the 

 compound ones, whence arises the fourth order. But they 

 have not fixed limits to their orders, such being scarcely 

 discoverable. The semiflosculosi and c'apitati, for instance, 

 though apparently widely different, are proved nearly akin 

 by Scolymus and Elephantopus. The former of these has 

 all the habit of a Carduus, and yet all its florets are ligu- 

 late ; the latter is intermediate between the semiflosculosi 

 and capitati, nor are we certain to which of these divi- 

 sions it belongs. Perdicium, a new genus, connects Inula, 

 which is radiated, with the semiflosculous genus Hieracium, 

 so that accurate limits are hardly to be drawn between 

 them. Most of the semiflosculosi are milky, but Lapsana 

 and Cichorium want this quality." 



"Section 1. Semiflosculosi; all the florets ligulate." 



" These genera are distributed, first by their recep- 

 tacle, which is either chaffy, villous, or naked. In the 

 next place, they are subdivided by the down of their 

 seeds, pappus, which is either absent, or bristle-shaped, 

 or hairy, or feathery. Thirdly, a peculiar distinguishing 

 character is borrowed from the form or nature of their 

 calyx." 



" The quality of the Composites in general is innocent ; 

 but some of the present section are milky, which secretion 

 proves, by experience, somewhat of a poisonous nature. 

 So Lactuca virosa, in a wild state, is as poisonous as 

 opium ; yet by culture it becomes esculent and culinary, 

 though still causing sleep by its debilitating power." 

 Linnaeus surely could not mean that this and the garden 

 lettuce are one species. It is possible his hearers mis- 

 took him. 



