Lactuca."] LXXVIII. COMPOSITE. (J. D. Hooker.) 409 



Mulgedium ? Lessertianum, DC'. Prodr. vii. 251. Ilieracium Lessertianuni, Wall. 

 Cat. 3254. Melanoseris lyrata, Dene, in Hot. Jacq. Voy. 101, t. 109. 



TEMPERATE and ALPINE HIMALAYA ; from Kashmir, alt. 8-13,000 ft., to Sikkim, 

 alt. 9-16,000 ft. 



Stem 0-12 in., sometimes stout with man}- erect lateral flowering branches, at others 

 slender and nearly simple. Leaves always membranous, with nearly entire margins, 

 in one extreme form 6-8 by 1 in , very narrowly oblanceolate, quite entire, obtuse, nar- 

 rowed into a long petiole ; in another as long but broader, pinnatifidly lobed ; in others 

 1-2 in., entire or runcinate. Heads on long cr short flaccid pedimcles; blackish, 

 sometimes densely villous with long hairs; ligules blue. Achencs \ in. including the 

 stout beak, black, strongly ribbed; pappus white or yellowish, very deciduous. This 

 is nearly related to L. ntacrorht~a, though differing a good deal in habit and in the 

 acheuo. 



SECT. VI. Perennial tall branched leafy herbs. Heads loosely panicled, 

 large, nodding or pendulous ; peduncle ebracteolate ; invol. bracts broad, many- 

 seriate, outer gradually larger, all regularly imbricate; ligules blue. Achencs" 

 long, narrow ; pappus white or yellowish, brittle. 



17. I?. macrantha, Clarke Comp. Lid. 207 : glabrous or pubescent above, 

 tall, stout, branched above, leafy, leaves large glabrous sessile oblong pinnatifid 

 acutely irregularly toothed base with broad-toothed auricles, heads few 1-1^ in 

 diani. campamilate peduncled terminating the branches inclined or nodding, invol. 

 bracts broadly ovate regularly imbricate ciliate inner oblong stibacute, achenes 

 equalling the brown fugacious pappus flattened oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic 

 ribbed smooth narrowed into a stout paler beak much, shorter than the body. 

 Mulgedium rnacranthum, Herb. Incl. Or. H. f. $ T. 



HIMALAYA, alt. 10-14,000 ft., J. D. H., Clarke. 

 Stem 1-2 ft., usually very stout, smooth. Leaves 3-9 by 1-3 in., glaucous beneath, 

 terminal lobe usually triangular-ovate. Heads blackish when dry ; peduncles curved, 

 usually pubescent; ligules blue. Achenes g-| in. ; pappus rigid, brittle. 



18. Xi. bracteata, Hook. /. 8> T. in Clarke Comp. Incl 270 ; hispid, tall, 

 simple or paniculately branched above, leafy, leaves sessile ovate or oblong-ovate 

 acute acutely toothed abruptly cordate or contracted into a cordate auricled 

 i-amplexicaul base, beads |-1 in. broad many-fld. campanulate in open leafy 

 panicles with long slender branches and peduncles or in leafy racemes inclined 

 or drooping, invol. bracts membranous broadly ovate subacute imbricate inner 

 oblong obtuse, achenes oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic smooth ribbed flattened 

 gradually narrowed into a slender white beak as long as the body longer than the 

 white pappus. Melanoseris bracteata, Herb. 2nd. Or. H. f. & T. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA ; Lachoong Valley, alt. 8-10,000 ft,, J. D. H. 



Stem slender, 1-3 ft. Leaves tolerably uniform, 3-6 by l-2 in., membranous : 

 those in the inflorescence lanceolate, acuminate. Heads rather numerous ; invol. bracts 

 without white margins, reticulated, speckled with red; ligules blue. Achenes i in. 

 including the very slender beak; pappus brittle. This is somewhat intermediate be- 

 f ween this section and Sect. IV. 



SECT. VIT. A perennial robust simple or sparingly branched leafy hispid 

 herb. Heads loosely panicled, large, nodding, clothed with black glandular hairs ; 

 peduncle ebracteolate ; outer iuvol. bracts few, narrow ; ligules yellow. Achenes 

 long, narrow; pappus white, persistent. (DUBY^EA, DC.} 



19. Xi. Dubyaea, Clarke Comp. Ind. 271 ; leaves simple or tbe lower 

 lobed at the base or pinnatifid, radical or petioled, cauline ovate hastate or 

 oblong-ovate sinuate-toothed, petiole winged, base -amplexicaul, upper sessile 

 oblong or cordate base broadly auricled, heads 1 in. diani. few peduncled nodding 



