COMPOSIT.'E. 321 



jellow flowers, in a loose, irregular corymb. Involucre of several nearly 

 equal, erect, inner bracts, with 2 or 3 outer rovps of smaller ones, usu- 

 ally spreading. Achenes transversely striated, not beaked, with a wliitisli 

 pappus, of wliicli the inner hairs at least are feathery. 



A genus containing but few species, natives of Europe and temperate 

 Asia, having much the appearance of SatoTcweed and Crepis, but readily 

 distinguished by the feathery pappus. 



1. Ha^rkvireed. Picris. Picris hieracioides, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 196.) 



A biennial, 1 to 2 or 3 feet high, covered with short, rough hairs, most 

 of which are minutely hooked at the top, so as to cling to whatever they 

 come in contact with. Leaves lanceolate, the lower ones tapering into a 

 stalk, and often 6 inches or more long, the upper ones clasping the stem. 

 Peduncles rather long and stiff. Involucres scarcely G lines long. Pappus 

 of a dirty white, the hairs usually very feathei-y, except a few of the outer 

 ones of each achene. 



On roadsides, borders of fields, and waste places, in southern and 

 central Europe, as far as southern Scandinavia, in temperate Eussia and 

 central Asia, and now spread as a weed of cultivation to many other parts 

 of the world. Abundant in the greater part of England, but does not per- 

 haps extend into Scotland, and has only been found in one place, at Port- 

 marnockj in Ireland. Fl. summer and autumn. 



XXXI. HA-WKBIT. LEONTODON. 



Herbs, with a perennial stock, radical, spreading leaves, simple or slightly 

 branched, usually leafless flower-stems, and yellow flowers. Involucres of 

 several nearly equal, erect, inner bracts, and two or three rows of smaller 

 outer ones. Receptacle without bracts between the florets. Achenes more 

 or less tapering at the top into a short beak, sometimes scarcely perceptible. 

 Pappus of all, or at least the central florets, composed of feathery hairs. 



A genus not numerous in species, but abundantly spread over Europe 

 and Eussian Asia. It was formerly united with Dandelion, from which it 

 has been separated on account of the feathery pappus. 



All the achenes with a pappus of feathery hairs. 



Hairy plant, with simple flower-stems. Pappus with an outer row 



of minute, simple hairs 1. Common S. 



Plant nearly glabrous. Flower-stems often divided, enlarged under 



the flower-heads. AH the hairs of the pappus of equal length 2. Autumnal S. 

 Achenes of the outer row of florets with a pappus of very short, simple 



hairs. Flower-stems simple 3. Lesser S. 



1. Common Hawkbit. Zieontodon hispidus, Linn. 

 {Hedypnois, Eng. Bot. t. 554. Apargia, Bab. Man.) 

 The whole plant more or less hispid with erect, stifi", short hairs, often 

 forked or stellate at tlie top. Leaves long and narrow, coarsely toothed or 

 pinnatifid. Peduncles 6 inches to a foot or more long, slightly swollen at 

 the top, with a single rather large flower-head. Bracts of the involucre 

 narrow, and always hispid, the inner row much longer than the outer ones. 

 Achenes long, striate, and transversely rugose, shghtly tapering at the top, 

 but seldom distinctly beaked. Pappus of about a dozen brown, feathei'y 



