DIPSACEAE 121 



who would keep his premises in neat condition. Doctor DARWIN 

 thus indulges his imagination, in reference to its supposed thirsty 

 character: 



" When droops the sickening herb, the blossom fades, 



And parch'd earth gapes beneath the withering glades, 



With languid steps fair DIPSACA retreats, 



' Fall, gentle dews!' the fainting nymph repeats; 



Seeks the low dell, and in the sultry shade 



Invokes, in vain, the Naiads to her aid." 



2. D. FTJLLO V NUM, Mill. Leaves obovate-oblong, the upper ones en- 

 tire ; involucre shorter than the head ; bracts recurved at apex, 

 rigid. 

 FULLERS' DIPSACUS. Fuller's Teasel. 



Stem, leaves, and general character, similar to the preceding. Heads of flowers 

 elliptical; bracts (or chaff of the receptacle) terminating in a rigid subulate recurved 

 acumination. 

 Hob. Gardens, and lots. Nat, of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. This species is sometimes cultivated, by cloth manufactu- 

 rers, for the sake of the heads; the rigid recurved points of the 

 bracts, on the mature heads, being used as a kind of card, to raise 

 the nap on woollen cloth. 



ORDER LI. COMPOS'ITAE. 



Mostly herbs ; leaves alternate, or opposite, often lobed or dissected, never truly 

 compound, and not stipulate; flowers in close heads, composed of many florets 

 (perfect or imperfect) upon a common receptacle, and embraced by (mostly numer- 

 ous) leaflets, or scales, which form a general involucre; calyx-tube closely adherent 

 to the ovary, the limb, or border, of the calyx (called pappus), consisting ofJiairs, 

 awns, or scales, or sometimes obsolete; corolla either tubular and 5-lobed, or ligu- 

 late and 6-toothed ; stamens mostly 5, inserted on the corolla, the anthers united, 

 forming a tube round the style, which is 2-cleft at summit, with stigmatic glands, 

 in lines, on the inner surface of the branches; fruit an akene, containing a single 

 erect seed destitute of albumen,* 



SUBORDER I. TUBULIFLO V RAE. 



Florets of the disk tubular, mostly perfect, -of the ray (when present) ligulate, 

 and either pistillate or neutral. 



TRIBE 1. VERNONIA V CEAE. 



Beads discoid ; florets all alike, perfect and tubular ; style-branches slender, filiform 

 or subulate, hairy all over, the stigmatic lines only on the lower part. 



185. VERffOWIA, Schreb. 



[Named in honor of William Vernon, an English Botanist.] 



Heads many -flowered, in corymbose cymes. Involucre shorter than 



* This Order is so natural, and at the same time BO enormously large (containing 

 between 800 and 900 genera, with species almost innumerable), that it is difficult 

 to discriminate, satisfactorily, among such kindred multitudes. The Botanists, 

 consequently, have been obliged to seize upon any features however small, or 

 inconspicuous that are constant, and will serve the purpose : hence, they have re- 

 gorted to such minute characters aa are afforded by style-branches, stigmatic lines, 

 anther-tails, Ac. The student will, therefore, do well to make hhnself familiar with 

 these nice distinctions. 



