408 LXXVIII. COMPOSITE. (J. D. Hooker.) \Lactuca. 



Comp. Ind. 267. Chondrilla hastata, Wall. Cat. 3217. Sonclius robustus and 

 hastatus, Wall. Cat. 3240, 3250. S. Oyaniis, Don Prodr. 164. Mulgediuiu 

 cyaneuni and robustum, DC. I. c. 249, 250. M. nilglierryense, Wight Ic. 1. 1144. 

 Melanoseris paniculata, Edgcw. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 80. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA ; from Kashmir to Sikkim, alt. 4-12,000 ft. KHASIAMTS. ; 

 alt. 5-6000 ft. NILOHERRY MTS. 



One of the tallest and most robust species, 4-7 ft. high, but occurring in dwarf 

 and slender forms, from perfectly glabrous to glandular-hispid all over, the latter in 

 western specimens. Leaves sometimes a foot long and 4-6 in. broad, of various shapes, 

 rarely large and runcinate-pinnatifid, petiole sometimes a foot long. Inflorescence very 

 various; the heads usually subracemose or the branches of contracted or spreading 

 panicles, sometimes as narrow as in L. graciliflora, but this is rare ; ligules blue 

 purple or dark red. Achenes very uniform, % in. long including the beak, quite flat, 

 irregularly ribbed, dark brown, suddenly contracted into a brown cleft tip in which 

 the white beak is seated ; pappus in., very deciduous, dirty- white, outer ring of 

 bristles distinct. 



SECT. V. Perennial tuberous rooted herbs, with soft ascending stems and 

 branches and very membranous pinnate or pinnatifid leaves that are scarcely, if 

 at all, toothed. Heads terminating the branches, pendulous, narrow ; peduncles 

 ebracteate ; invol. bracts few, outer gradually longer : ligules blue or purple. 

 Achenes smooth ; pappus .deciduous. 



15. Zi. xnacrorhiza, Hook, f. ; glabrous or sparsely villous, branches 

 many from the root ascending long or short (sometimes reduced to a 1 -headed 

 scape) soft terete leafy irregularly divided above, leaves membranous linear or 

 elongate obovate pinnatifid or pinnate upper sometimes entire, pinnules or lobes 

 usually numerous oblong-orbicular quite entire, petiole quite simple or dilated 

 or winged with a very broad orbicular entire or toothed auricle, heads %-f. in. 

 long terminating the branches peduncled drooping or inclined 6-16-fld., outer 

 invol. bracts lanceolate very much shorter than the 6-10 linear-oblong inner, 

 achenes flat elliptic-lanceolate smooth narrowed into a white beak the length 

 of the body, pappus silky white. L. leevigata, Clarke Comp. Ind. 269. L. Hoff- 

 meisteri, Klotzsch in Ee'ise Pr. Waldem. Bot. 81, t. 80. Mulgedium Izevigatum, 

 DC. Prodr. vii. 249. M. macrorhizum, Royle III. 251, t. 61 ; DC. Prodr. vii. 

 251. Prenanthes Ircvigata, Wall. Cat. 3259. Melanoseris saxatilis, Edyew. in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 72. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA; from Kashmir to Sikkim, alt. 6-16,000 ft. 



Prom 3 in. to 3 ft. high, in some Alpine forms reduced to a few leaves 2-3 in. long 

 and one or more 1- or few-headed scapes ; in its largest state the stems are as thick 

 as a goose quill. Leaves excessively variable, usually narrow and pinnate with a 

 slender rachis, sometimes reduced to a single orbicular oblong ovate cordate or hastate 

 lobe, upper sessile with auricled bases, lower petioled ; petiole simple and slender or 

 winged, the wing sheathing at the base or dilated into a large orbicular toothed lobe 

 clasping the stem. Heads from elabrous to densely villous, irrespective of the altitude 

 at which the plant grows or its other characters; ligules blue or purple, large for the 

 size of the head. Achenes ^-\ in. including the slender beak, about 5-ribbed on either 

 face, almost black; pappus equalling the achene, deciduous, outer inconspicuous. 



16. Xi. Lessertiana, Clarke Comp. Ind. 270; perennial, glabrous or 

 laxly villous, stem short stout (or 0) leafy simple or branched from the base, 

 leaves very variable elongate oblanceolate and entire or shorter sinuate-toothed 

 or pinnatifid acute, margins and lobes subentire, petiole or simple at the base, 

 heads f in. long subcylindric or campanulate 12-24-fld. terminating the branches 

 or subpaniculate erect or drooping black glabrous or villous, outer invol. bracts 

 few linear or 0, inner linear-oblong obtuse, achenes flattened elliptic or oblanceo- 

 late suddenly narrowed into a stout pale beak, pappus shorter than the achene. 



