380 



CIGHORIACEAE. 



1. Leontodon Taraxacum 

 L. Dandelion, Blowball. 

 (Fig. 411.) Root thick, deep, 

 often 6'-12' long, bitter. Leaves 

 oblong to spatulate in outline, 

 usually pubescent, at least -when 

 young, acute or obtuse, pin- 

 natifid or sinuate-lobed, rather 

 succulent, 2'-10' long, V-2-^' 

 wide, narrowed into petioles; 

 scape erect, 2-18' high ; head 

 l'-2' broad; flowers 150-200; 

 inner bracts of the involucre 

 linear or linear-lanceolate, the 

 outer similar, shorter, not glau- 

 cous, reflexed, all acute ; achenes 

 greenish-brown. [ Taraxacum 

 officinale Weber; T. Dens-leonis 

 Desf.] 



Common in waste and culti- 

 vated grounds. Naturalized. Na- 

 tive of Europe. AYidely natural- 

 ized in North America, sparingly 

 in the West Indies. Flowers 

 throughout the year, abundantly 

 in spring. 



3. CREPIS L. 



Herbs, with mostly toothed or pinnatifid leaves, and small or middle-sized 

 heads of yellow or orange flowers. Involucre cylindric, campanulate, or swollen 

 at the base, its principal bracts in 1 series, equal, with exterior smaller ones. 

 Receptacle naked or short-fimbrillate. 

 Rays truncate and toothed. Anthers sagit- 

 tate. Style-branches slender. Achenes 

 linear-oblong, 10-20-ribbed or nerved, nar- 

 rowed at the base and apex. Pappus copi- 

 ous, of slender white bristles. [Greek, 

 sandal ; application not explained.] About 

 200 species, of the northern hemisphere. 

 Type species: Crepis tectorum L. 



1. Crepis japonica (L.) Benth. 

 Japanese Hawksbeard. (Fig. 412.) A 

 glabrous, slender, fibrous-rooted annual 

 6'-20' high. Leaves nearly all basal or 

 near the base, '2'-6' long, lyrate-pinnatifid, 

 thin, slender-petioled ; heads numerous in 

 a narrow elongated panicle, its branches 

 almost filiform ; involucre about 3" long, its 

 principal bracts about 1°, linear-lanceo- 

 late, with 4 or 5 short ovate outer ones; 

 rays small, yellow; achenes li" long. 

 [Prenanthes japonica L. ; recorded by pre- 

 vious authors as Crepis lyrata Froel.] 



Roadsides, waste and cultivated grounds. 



Naturalized, 

 to autumn. 



Native of eastern Asia. Spring 

 Naturalized in Jamaica. 



