304 CLASS XIX. ORDER I. 



Sijn. Leontodon autumnale. L. 

 Hedypnois autumnalis. Sm. 

 This plant, probably an emigrant from Europe, has overrun 

 the vicinity of this place, and grows in almost every kind of 

 soil. It begins flowering in June and July, and is nearly the 

 last plant that yields to the frosts of November. Root abrupt. 

 Leaves all radical, spreading, lanceolate, more or less toothed 

 and pinnatifid, according to the soil in which they grow, usually 

 curving to one side. Scape spreading, bending upwards, fur- 

 rowed, branching into a few peduncles, which are furnished 

 with scattered, remote scales, and are hollow, like many others 

 of the class, with a minute tuft, like cotton or cobweb, at the 

 base of their cavity within. Flowers yellow, resembling those 

 of the dandelion. The scales on the stalks and calyx are less 

 numerous than in the European variety. 



324. LEONTODON. 



Leontodon taraxacum. L. Dandelion. 



Outer scales of the calyx refiexed; leaves runcinate, 

 toothed, smooth. 



The leaves of this very common plant are usually cited as ex- 

 amples of the runcinate form. The supposed resemblance to a 

 lion's teeth will appear sufficiently obvious, to those who are 

 fond of tracing etymologies, in any of its names leontodon, dens 

 leonis, dent de lion, dandelion. The stalks or scapes are simple, 

 hollow, smooth, and round. Flowers single, of a bright yellow. 

 Calyx leaves entire, the outermost bent backwards. Florets 

 ligulate, numerous. Down of the seeds on a pedicel. — Peren- 

 nial. 



325. PRENANTHES. 

 Prenanthes alba. L. AVIiite jloivering Prenanthes. 



Calyxes many flowered ; leaves angular-hastate, 

 toothed; flowers nodding; racemes panicled. Willd. 

 Syn. Nabalus albus. HooJccr. 



A tall, smooth, lactescent plant, flowering in August and Sep- 

 tember. The large, radical leaves are conspicuous much earlier 



