6 Prof. C. C. Babington on the British Species 0/ Arctium. 



their width than those of the other species, and they even seem 

 narrower than they really are, from the sides being turned up 

 in such a manner as to present their edges to the spectator. 

 When so seen alive, the leaf therefore appears exceedingly long 

 and narrow. In the other species I believe that the leaves are 

 nearly flat, except that they form a slight angle at the middle, 

 and the basal lobes are often incurved. Also the leaves of A. 

 nemorosum are blunter than those of the others. These facts 

 give a very characteristic appearance to the leaves, and are 

 apparently their constant condition. We examined very many 

 individuals, and always found this kind of leaf upon them. A 

 large leaf now before me, which has, of course, been flattened in 

 its preparation for the herbarium, measures 12| inches from the 

 top of the petiole to its upper extremity, and is 9 inches in 

 width at a third of its length from the base. In the lower and 

 second third it narrows very gradually, and not much quicker 

 until the tip is nearly approached. The basal lobes extend 

 downwards, and add fully three inches to the total length of the 

 leaf, which thus is nearly 16 inches long. Before this leaf was 

 flattened, it seemed to be about three inches narrower. A smaller 

 leaf has precisely the same proportions, except that it is even a 

 little more decidedly oblong. The petiole is nearly flat above, 

 rather angular, and traversed by a small roundish tube. The 

 heads, when in flower, are narrower and more ovoid than those 

 of the other plants, because the actual flowers are scarcely in- 

 flated in their upper part, and therefore pack very closely to- 

 gether. These flowers (florets) are about equally divided into 

 the slender tube and the narrow cylindrical limb j they scarcely 

 protrude their corollas beyond the involucre, which is nearly 

 flat-based, only slightly webbed, and green. As the seed ripens,^ 

 the head increases in width more than in length, so as to become 

 much broader than long. It continues to be nearly truncate at 

 the base, and is so far open at the top as clearly to show the 

 ripe fruits. The involucre often remains green, or becomes 

 slightly tinged with purple, except the innermost phyllaries, 

 which are purplish, thin, flat, scarcely hooked, and about as long 

 as the others. The fruit is rugose, covered with blackish spots, 

 narrowing very gradually from the base to the top. All the 

 heads are very shortly stalked, and usually form a compact 

 cluster of about three at the top, although occasionally there is 

 only one there. The central stem has them arranged in a long 

 narrow raceme ; so also the branches. 



I consider that this plant may be known by the subconvolute 

 leaves, its narrow raceme, nearly sessile heads, close terminal 

 group of heads, and the cylindrical (not inflated) limb of the 

 corolla. 



