298 THE COMPOSITE FAMILT. 



A native, apparently, of western Europe, and chiefly of sandy pastures 

 near the sea, but, having been long cultivated, it has established itself in so 

 many places that its precise area cannot well be made out. Evidently 

 indigenous in southern England and Ireland, but decreases rapidly north- 

 ward, and not a true native of Scotland. Fl. summer and autumn. 



4. Yello'nr Camomile. Anthemis tinctoria, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1472.) 



This has much the habit and aspect of the corn C, but is usually a taller 

 plant and more downy, the leaves less divided, with pinnatifid or toothed 

 segments, the flower-heads rather larger, and the rays of a bright yeUow. 



In cultivated and waste places, in central and eastern Europe and Eussian 

 Asia, abundant in Denmark and eastern France, but scarcely further west. 

 In Britain, said to be indigenous in some of the eastern counties of England. 

 Fl. end of summer. 



XII. achii.i.i:a. Achillea. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, with alternate, much divided, or rarely simple 

 leaves ; the flower-heads rather small, in a terminal corymb, with white or 

 pink rays, and a yellow disk. Irivolueres ovoid or liemisijherical, the bracts 

 imbricated, only sliglitly scarious on the edges. Receptacle small, not con- 

 vex, with scales between the florets. Aclienes without any pappus. Style 

 nearly that of Senecio. 



A considerable European and west Asiatic genus, divided by modern 

 botanists into two sections or genera, represented by the two British species, 

 but separated by very trifling charactei-s. 



Leaves linear, serrated. Flower-heads few, hemispherical ...,]. Sneezeivort A. 

 Leaves much divided. Flower-heads numerous, small, and ovoid . . 2. Milfoil A. 



1. Sneeze^ort Achillea. Achillea Ptarmica, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 757. Sneezewort.) ^ 



Eootstock perennial and creeping. Stems erect and glabrous, 1 to 2 feet 

 high, nearly simple. Leaves rather broadly linear, and regularly serrate. 

 Flower-heads few, in a loose terminal corymb. Involucres hemispherical, 

 shghtly cottony, smaller than in the Camomiles, but much larger than in the 

 Milfoil A. Florets of the ray generally from 10 to 15, short, broad, and 

 white ; those of the disk numerous, interspersed with small linear scales. 



In moist, chiefly hilly pastures, in northern and central Europe and Eus- 

 sian Asia, becoming a mountain plant, in southern Europe, yet not extend- 

 ing to the Arctic regions. Common in Britain. Fl. summer, rather late. 



2. Milfoil Achillea. Achillea Millefolium, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 758. Milfoil or Yarrow.) 



Stock perennial, creeping underground, with numerous short, leafy 

 barren branches, and erect, almost simple flowering stems, about a foot 

 high. Leaves oblong or linear in their outline, but finely cut into numerous 

 short, but very narrow and deeply pinnatifid segments. Flower-heads 

 numerous, small, and ovoid, in a dense terminal corymb. Florets of the 

 ray seldom above 5 or 6 in each head, whits or pink. 



In pastures, meadows, waste places, etc., very abundant in Europe and 

 Eussian Asia from the Mediterranean to the Ai'ctic Circle, and extends over 

 a great part of North America. It is also one of the commonest of British 



