1 38 Botanical Notes. 



ropean plants, referred to this genus, form only one very variable 

 species, I do not attempt to form a specific character. 



Leontodon taraxacum, Linn. Sp. Pi. 1122. 



a. officinale. Leaves runcinate, with the terminal lobe largest, 

 outer involucral bracteae lanceolate, reflexed. 



a. verum. Leaves broad runcinate. 

 L. taraxacum, Auct., Eng. Bot. t. 

 L. officinale, Withering, iii. 679. 

 L. tar. I. Gaudin, Fl. Helv. v. 61. 



L. tar. a. oleraceum, Bluff et Fingerh. ii. 266. 

 Taraxacum dens-leonis dc. Bot. Gall. i. 300. 



b. an gusti folium. Leaves slender, runcinato-pinnatifid. 

 Dens-leonis angustioribus foliis, Ray, Syn. 171- 



L. tar. j8. Sm. Eng. Fl. iii. 349. 

 L. tar. $. arenarium, Bluff et Fing. 1. c 

 Narrow Dandelion, Petiver, H. B. t. 11. f. 8. 

 Leaves oblong, runcinate, the segments pointing downwards, more 

 or less triangular, acute, denticulated above the incisions, seldom or 

 never reaching the midrib, (except perhaps in var. b in which the 

 leaves are narrow and deeply pinnatifid ;) the terminal lobe large, 

 round at the end, and usually the broadest part of the leaf, midrib 

 very broad and longitudinally striated, the striae usually 5. Scape 

 smooth, tall, thick, seldom much longer than the leaves. Involu- 

 cral bracteae long, lanceolate, the outer ones not much shorter than 

 the inner row, (except a few at the base,) reflexed. Fruit dull yel- 

 low, oblong-oval, compressed, striated, with two strong ribs on each 

 side, two weaker ones in the centre, and two between each of them 

 and the dilated margin, its upper half roughish, with numerous rigid 

 papillae, becoming longer, and taking nearly the form of spines at 

 the dilated apex of the fruit, which is suddenly attenuated into a 

 very long slender rostrum. Pappus rough with minute alternate 

 teeth. 



Of this variety I need say nothing, as it grows in every field and 

 waste place. The synonym of Ray is referred to my subvariety 

 b. from the observation of Sir J. E. Smith, that u its calyx scales 

 retain their due proportion and position," and from the figure of Pe- 

 tiver ; although the description given by Ray would apply equally 

 well to the var. laevigatum. He says it differs from the type of this 

 variety, " foliis paucioribus et angustioribus, profundius laciniatis, 

 semine etiam rufo, cum illius citrinum sit." — I have not seen this 

 plant. 



