342 



COMPOSITE. 



himself occasionally at fault, the family being one of the 

 most perplexing in this difficult Order. 



LEdNTODON TARAXACUM (Common Dandelion). 



11. LEONTODON (Dandelion). 



1. L. Taraxacum (Common Dandelion). Cultivated 

 ground ; abundant. Dandelion, from the French, Dent- 

 de-lion, lion's-tooth, is the popular name of nearly all 

 the larger yellow flowers belonging to this Sub-order. 

 The true Dandelion may, however, be readily known by 

 the following characters. The leaves all spring from the 

 root, and are deeply cut, with the sharp lobes point- 

 ing backwards ; the flower-stalks are hollow, smooth, 

 and leafless, and bear a single flower ; the outer scales of 

 the involucre are reflexed ; the pappus is stalked, and 

 white ; the heads when in fruit are of a globular form ; 

 and the receptacle, after the fruit has been blown away, 

 is convex, and dotted. Fl. nearly all the year round. 

 Perennial. 



