450 COMPOSITE, (composite pamilt.) 



55. ATRACTIXIS, L. Atractylis. 



Heads homogamous, many-flowered. Inrolucre double, the inner 

 scales in many rows, not rayed. Receptacle chaffy, pales many-cleft. 

 Flowerets perfect, uniform, or the outer radiate, strap-shaped. 

 Filaments free, with bearded appendages. Style with 3, Yery short, 

 convergent lobes, Akenes terete, silky-hairy, hilum at base. Pappus 

 in 1 row of simple, feathery pales, united at base — Annual or perennial 

 herbs, with aspect of Carlina. 



* Outer -flowerets Ugulate, radiate. 



1. A. flava. Desf. If ATceisJi. Khosheruf. .1 to .2, appressed- 

 icooUy, branching from neck, branches ascending or diffuse. Leaves 

 leathery, lanceolate-linear, sinuate-lobed, prickly. Heads terminal, 

 solitary, .02 long, ovate ; leaves of outer involucre twice as long as 

 head ; scales of inner involucre woolly, broad-ovate to linear-lanceolate, 

 abruptly prickly-tipped ; flowerets yelloio, the rays one-half longer than 

 the others — May — El-'Arabah to Sinai and Egypt. 



Var, g^labrescens, Boiss. Leaves glabrescent or glabrous ; 

 outer scales of involucre narrower — Arabia Petrsea. 



2. A. prolifera, Boiss. .2 to .6, appressed-cobwebby, ca- 

 nescent, branching from neck ; branches slender, decumbent or 

 ascending. Leaves lanceolate-linear, soft, prickly-toothed, the upper 

 forming a supplementary involucre thrice as long as heads. Heads .03 

 long, ovate, at forks and terminal ; outer scales of involucre in 1 row, 

 linear-awl-shaped, pectinate-prickly, as long as disk ; inner membran- 

 ous, cobwebby, the lower ovate, abruptly prickly-tipped, the upper 

 lanceolate-linear, larger, flowerets purple, the rays twice as long as the 

 others — April — Sands ; northern borders of et-Tih; Callirrhoe (Moab). 



* * Flowerets all tubular. 



3. A. cancel] at a, L. .1 to .2, appressed-cobwebby ; stems 

 simple or branching from base, slender, corymbose or monocephalous. 

 Leaves linear, ciliate-j)ricTdy. Heads ovate, .015 long ; outer scales of 

 involucre in about 1 row, linear, pectinate-prickly, a little longer than 

 the oblong to lanceolate-acuminate, membranous, inner scales ; flowerets 

 purple; pappus once and a half as long as akene — Spring — Hills and 

 fields ; coast and lower mountains, and interior plains ; Jordan 

 Valley. 



4. A. serratuloides, Sieb. et Cass. 5 .2 to .3 or more, woody 

 at base, glabrescent ; branches white, rigid, interlaced, corymbose or 

 few headed. Leaves leathery, rigid, linear, .02 to .025 long, .002 

 broad, prickly-toothed. Heads terminal, minute, oblong, .01 to .014 

 long, .006 broad ; scales of outer involucre leaf-like, linear, pectinate- 

 prickly, longer than the inner, ovate, woolly scales, the latter terminat- 

 ing apruptly in a yellow-spine as long as they ; flowers _^a?6 flesh-color 

 — Spring — Coast of southern Palestine. 



5. A, coiiio§a, Sieb. et Cass. 2f ShauTc-el- Ghazdl. 1 or more ; 

 stem hirsute, monocephalous or corymbose. 'Rooi-\e2.vQs rosetted, hirsute- 

 bristly, oblong-linear in outline, often .3 to .5 long, pinnatifid into 

 minute, somewhat imbricated, prickly lobes ; stem-leaves few, soon 

 falling, linear, prickly-lobed. Heads solitary, terminal, ovate, .05 

 broad ; leaves of outer involucre longer than head, pinnatipartite into 



