COMPOSITAE 161 



231. L.ACTITCA, Tournef. 

 [Latin, Lac, milk; in reference to its milky juice.] 



Heads several-flowered. Involucre subcylindric ; scales unequal, 

 imbricated in 2 to 4 series. AJcenes flatly obcompressed, abruptly 

 contracted into a filiform beak, which bears a copious and fugacious 

 pappus of fine white soft hairs. Smooth leafy-stemmed herbs ; heads 

 small, numerous, paniculate ; florets of various colors yellow, blue, 

 purple or changeable. 



Florets mostly yeUow. 



1. It, t'lonariitfl, Muhl. var. a. longifolia, Torr. $ Gr. Lower 

 leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, clasping, upper ones linear-lanceolate, 

 entire, sessile; heads racemose-paniculate. 



ELONGATED LACTUCA. Wild Lettuce. 



Biennial t Stem 3 to 6 or 8 feet high, sparingly branched. Lower leaves 6 to 12 

 Inches long, variable in form runcinate, sublyrate, or long-lanceolate with 2 or 3 

 conspicuous lanceolate divaricate segments on each side near the middle ; upper 

 leaves gradually smaller. Heads of flowers in a long racemose panicle. Scenes 

 oval, rather longer than the beak. 

 Hob. Fence-rows ; thickets, &c. : frequent. Fl. July. Fr. Aug. 



2. L. SATI X VA, L. Leaves entire, radical ones erect, oval, wavy, 

 stem-leaves cordate, clasping; heads corymbose-paniculate. 

 CULTIVATED LACTUCA. Garden Lettuce. Common Salad. 



Annual; yellowish-green and glaucous, sometimes fuscous, and tinged with 

 dark puiple. Stem 2 to 4 feet high ; branches clothed with numerous small leaves, 

 Lower leaves 4 to 6 or 8 inches long ; upper ones gradually smaller. Heads of flow- 

 ers terminal. Akenes lance-obovate, about half as long as the leak. 

 Hob. Gardens. Nat. of India. Fl. July. Fr. Aug. 



. Obs. This plant called "Salad," par excellence is universally 

 known, and cultivated. The forms known as " Curled," and "Head " 

 Salad, are considered as distinct species, by Prof. DE CANDOLLE. 



232. MUI,GE V DIUM, Cassini. 



[Latin, mulgeo, to milk; in reference to its copious milky juice.] 

 Heads many-flowered. Involucre, &c. nearly as in Lactuca ; scales 

 often tinged with dark purple. Akenes ancipitally compressed, 

 ribbed, contracted at summit to a very short thickish beak, which is 

 expanded at apex into a ciliate disk bearing a copious deciduous 

 pappus of soft yet rather brittle hairs. 



t Pappus white; florets Urn. 



1. M. ac'iimintitiini, DC. Radical leaves slightly runcinate; 

 stem-leaves ovate, acuminate, sinuate-denticulate, petiolate. 

 Sonchus acuminatus. Willd. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 446. 

 ACUMINATE MULGEDIUM. 



Biennial. Stem 3 to 6 feet high, terete, smooth, paniculate at summit. Leaves 

 3 to 6 inches long, sometimes nearly deltoid, abruptly contracted at base to a 

 winged tapering petiole 1 or 2 inches in length. Heads of flowers email, in a rather 

 loose panicle, sometimes racemose on the branches. 

 Hob. Woods, and thickets: frequent Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept, 



