424 Observations 



on some neio 



has no pappus, and a large ray : and consequently, as far as the ray 

 is concerned, must, along with that figured by Lindley, and quoted 

 by Decandolle under his L. glnberrima, be removed from Lasthe- 

 nia. It appears that this must have been Decandolle's first in- 

 tention, and that the manuscript genus Gaviolepis was intended to 

 contain these. It is allied to Baeria of Fisch. and Mey., but in 

 that genus the leaflets of the involucre are free from each other. I 

 am therefore disposed to keep the Chilian plant alone in the genus 

 L.asthenia, and adopt the genus Gamolepis for Decandolle's second 

 section from California. 



MoNACTis, H. B. K. (Compositae.) 

 In the generic character the scales or leaflets of the involucre are 

 said to be lanceolate-linear. The form is perhaps of little conse- 

 quence, and I possess a plant collected by Mathews in the province 

 of Chachapoyas in Peru, which seems principally to differ from M. 

 Flaverice, Dec. by that character. Omitting then from Decan- 

 dolle's character of the genus, the words " squamis lanceolato-linea- 

 ribus," I would distinguish the two species thus : 



1. M. Flaverice, (Dec.) squamis involucri lanceolato-linearibus. 



2. M. Kunthiana, (Am.) squamis invol. oblongis obtusis. 

 Kunth describes another species, M. dubia, but this Lessing has 



separated from the genus under the name of Astemma. In Monactis 

 the ray is composed of a solitary floret ; in Astemma no ray whatever 

 could be traced. I am, however, inclined with Kunth to refer the 

 latter to Monactis, as it is not improbable that in the few specimens 

 examined the ray had dropped ofl^. As a species of Monactis, I 

 scarcely know to distinguish it from M. Kunthiana, a name which 

 perhaps ought to be retained, as that given by Kunth is inadmis- 

 sible on the supposition of its actually, as in Mathews' plant, pos- 

 sessing one large ligulate floret in each capitulum, and being a true, 

 not doubtful species of the genus. 



Heliopsis, Pers. (Compositae.). 

 Of this Decandolle describes the achenia, " angulato-compressa 

 glabra, omnino calva." In. the species which I have examined, I 

 find uniformly the achenia, when young, to have a pappus of four 

 small ciliated teeth, which may sometimes also be traced in the ad- 

 vanced fruit : the achenia of the ray are triquetrous, of the disk 

 4'quetrous. 



MicROPSis, Dec. (Compositae.) 

 To M. nana, Dec, I refer a plant collected by Mr Bridges in 



