282 THE TEASEL TAMILT. 



4. WarroTV-fruited Cornsalad. Valerianella dentata, Koch. 

 {Valeriana, Eng. Bot. t. 1370.) 



Habit and foliage preciselv those of the sharp-fruHed C, and the fruit is 

 in tlie same manner crowned by tlie obUque border of the calyx, but the 

 fruit is narrower, shghtly compressed from front to back, and the seed oc- 

 cupies the entire cavity without any empty cells ; these are represented by 

 two longitudinal ribs on the inner face of the fruit, which, when examined 

 under the microscope, will be found to be hollow. 



The geographical range appears to be the same as that of the sharp-fniUed 

 C, with which it is often confounded. Fl. summer. It varies in its fruits 

 more or less hairy, and the calyx-border sometimes cup-shaped, nearly 

 as long as the fruit, and scarcely oblique, sometimes smaller and very ob- 

 lique, and some of these forms have been distinguished as species, under the 

 names of V. ei-iocarpa, P. truncata, etc. 



XLI. THE TEASEL FAMILY. DIPSACE^. 



Herbs or undersbrubs, with opposite leaves, and no stipules. 

 Flowers collected into compact heads or spikes, surrounded by 

 a common involucre, with scales or hairs on the receptacle be- 

 tween the florets, as in Composites, but each floret is moreover 

 inserted in a small involucel having the appearance of an outer 

 calyx, sometimes tubular, and completely enclosing the ovary; 

 sometimes cup-shaped at its base. Calyx combined with the 

 ovary, with an entire or toothed border ; the teeth often termi- 

 nating in stiff points or bristles. Corolla monopetalous, 4- or 

 5-lobed, and often oblique. Stamens 4, inserted in the tube ; 

 the anthers free, not united as in Composites. Fruit small, 

 dry, and indehiscent, crowned by the border of the calyx, often 

 enclosed in the involucel, which assumes the form of an outer 

 coating. Seed solitary, pendulous. 



A small family, spread over the temperate regions of the old world, both 

 in the northern hemisphere and in southern Afi-ica ; at once distinguished 

 from Composites by the anthers, from capitate Umbellates by the opposite 

 leaves and the monopetalous coroUas. 



Scales of the receptacle hetween the florets prictlj- 1. Teasei,. 



Scales of the receptacle not prickly, or replaced by hairs 2. ScABiors. 



I. TEASEI.. DIPSACTJS. 



Tall, erect biennials, either prickly or bearing very stiff hairs. Heads of 

 flowers oblong or globular ; the scales between the florets long and pricklv. 

 Involucels small and angular, with a very small, thickened border. Calyx 

 ■n-ith a small, cup-shaped border appearing above the involucel. Corolla 

 obhque, 4-lobed. 



A very small European and north Asiatic genus. 



He:id9 of flowers ovoid or cylindrical, very prickly 1. Common T. 



Heads of flowers globular, very hairy, and slightly prickly .... 2. Small T, 



