962 



in which species the first appearance of the plant is several radical 

 leaves close to the surface of the ground, and when they are from one 

 to two inches long the stem begins to spring from the centre of 

 them; but in this species, when the plant is only half an inch in 

 height, the leaves are distinctly seen to be attached to the stem and 

 not to the crown of the root) ; the lower leaves are lanceolate, pointed 

 at the apex, attenuated towards the base, so that the broadest part of 

 the leaf is above the middle, from four to five inches and a half long, 

 and from five to seven-eighths of an inch in breadth ; the leaves 

 higher up the stem decrease a little in size, and become more regu- 

 larly lanceolate ; at about the middle of the stem the leaves have their 

 base ovate, and apex acuminate, in many instances attenuate-acumi- 

 nate ; the ovate base is not truly clasping, the basal part of the midrib 

 being enlarged, causes the leaf to bear the appearance of clasping 

 the stem. When the plant is in flower, from two to four of the lowest 

 leaves are decayed ; all the leaves have a few small, scattered teeth 

 on their edges, directed forwards, from half a line to a line in length, 

 half an inch or more apart in the larger leaves, and about half that 

 distance in the smaller ones ; the under side of the leaves, especially 

 the midrib, is clothed with the same description of hairs as the stem; 

 the leaves are liable to be clouded with purple around their edges, 

 not so much in spots or blotches on the disk as maculatum. It requires 

 great care in gathering and handling the plant when in a fresh state, 

 to prevent the downy hairs of the stem from being obliterated or 

 pressed down flat on the stem, when they become felted together, 

 and form a flat, woolly pubescence, which may mislead the observer 

 as to its true character. One remarkable characteristic of the pre- 

 sent plant is the disposition of the leaves on the stem : at about one- 

 third or one-fourth of the height of the stem firom the root it is so much 

 more densely leaved than in any other part, in plants from twelve 

 to twenty inches long there are as many as eight to twelve leaves 

 within the space of three inches in the part alluded to, whilst proba- 

 bly there are not many more than that number on all the rest of the 

 stem. In the very large specimens this is not quite so conspicuous, 

 yet even in them it may be traced, the leaves being inserted about half 

 an inch apart : above and below they are from one inch and a quarter 

 to two inches apart. In the middle-sized and small specimens it is 

 very plain, even in plants of only two or three inches in height. 



The flowers are about the size and colour of those of maculatum, not 

 being so large as in murorum ; the pistils and stigmas are more promi- 

 nent than in either of the above species ; the scales of the involucrum 



