COMPOSIT^E. (composite FAMILY.) 489 



Var. minus, Boiss. Stems decumbent, usually dwarf ; heads 

 sessile or short-peduucled in the rosette of leaves — Sinai ; et-Tih ; 

 Judgean desert. 



2. P. intermediwiii, Sch. Bip. .3 to A ; stem leafy below, 

 sparingly branched. Root-leaves obovate-oblong, entire or repand- 

 lobed, denticulate. Heads rather large, peduncled ; scales of involucre 

 with narroie, white margins, the outer minute, ovate ; ligules of one 

 color ; outer akenes ovate-oblong, inner obtusely prismatic — Spring — 

 Coast. 



3. P. VMlgare, Desf. 11 .4 to .5 ; root bearing several stems. 

 Lower leaves spathulate, sinuate or pinnately lobed or parted, usually 

 toothed. Heads .015 long, jDeduncled ; scales of involucre with 

 narrow, white margins, the outer ovate, all obtuse ; ligules pale at outer 

 surface; outer akenes oblong, inner obtusely prismatic — February to 

 June — Waste places and roadsides along coast. 



4. P. dichotoiuum, M. B. If .8 to 1 ; neck scaly ; stem 

 stout, striate, forked ; branches elongated, 1-headed. Root-leaves 

 linear-spathulate, somewhat sinuate-lobed, margin crisp- wavy, prickly. 

 Heads .015 long, peduncled ; scales of involucre with narrow, white 

 margins, the outer triangular, acutish, the inner oblong-lanceolate, 

 obtuse ; akenes columnar-tetragonal, 4-grooved, ribs tuberclcd-dentate 



— July to September — Dry and stony places ; Lebanon ; northern 

 Syria, 



108. SOl^CHUS, L. Sow-Thistlb. 



, Heads many-flowered. Involucre imbricated. Receptacle naked. 

 Akenes alike, flattened at back or elliptical, beakless. Pappus soft, 

 flexible — Monocarpic or perennial herbs with yellow flowers. 



* Annuals. 



1. S. oleraceu§5 L. .3 to 1, glabrous, erect, sparingly 

 branched ; branches cymose at tip. Leaves oblong, runcinate-pin- 

 natitid to lyrate, rarely undivided, toothed. Scales of involucre lanceo- 

 late-linear ; akenes narrow-margined^ 3-nerved and 3-striate on each 

 side, transversely wrinkled — April to July — Fields ; common. 



2. S. asper, Vill. As in last, except that the leaves s^tq pricTc- 

 ly-tootlied, and the akenes broad-margined, remotely o-nerved — April to 

 July — Fields ; common. 



* * Biennials or perennials. 



3. §. glaucescens, Jord. (2) .3 to 1 ; stem as in last two, but 

 often glandular-hairy above. Leaves prickly-toothed ; akenes smooth, 

 with broad, retrorsely-ciliate margins — Summer — Coast of Syria to 

 subalpine Lebanon ; Aintab. 



4. S. tenerpimii§, L. d) % .3 to .8 ; root-stock somewhat 

 branching ; stem brittle, loosely corymbose, few-headed. Root-leaves 

 pinnatipartite, stem-leaves pinnate to undivided, lanceolate to linear. 

 Involucre often turning black, scales lanceolate ; akenes tapering at 

 base, many-striate, tuber cled-icrinkled, not margined — January to April 



— Moist and shady places ; coast and lower zone of mountains ; Jordan 

 Valley. 



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