250 



BRITISH flowp:ring plants 



There are four British species : one, S. alpinus, with blue, 

 the others with yellow flowers ; of these S. oleraceus 

 is annual, the other two perennial ; one, S. palustris, 

 has the auricles of the leaves narrow and acute ; the 

 other, S. arvensis, short and broad. 



S. arvensis is a " Sunflower," turning round so as 

 to face the light. The flower-heads and peduncles are 

 hispid with black or brown glandular hairs. The stem is 

 hispid and glandular above, glabrous below. 



S. palustris. — A marsh plant in our eastern counties, 

 and now almost extinct. It is glabrous, as is also 

 S. oleraceus, a weed of almost world-wide distribution. 



S. alpinus, is found on Alpine rocks in the North 

 of Scotland. It has the panicle hispid with jointed 

 glandular hairs ; the leaves are glabrous. 



Taraxacum (Dandelion) 



Bracts of the involucre in two sets : outer ones 

 imbricated'; inner row, equal, erect. 



T. officinale. — A glabrous plant, taking its common 

 name from the teeth of the leaves. These are very 

 large in some cases, and pointing backwards, while in 



Fig. 166. 



Fig. 157. 



Fig. 1.^8. 



Fig. 156. — Section of part of a leaf of Dandelion grown in shade. 

 Fig. 157. — Section of part of a leaf grown in diffused light. 

 Fig. 158. — Section of part of a leaf grown in sunshine. 



other plants, especially in shady places and rich soil, the 

 leaves are often almost entire. The flower-heads close 

 at night and in wet weather. At Upsala, according to 

 Linnaeus, they open at 5-6 in the morning, and close 

 between 8 and 10 ; at Innsbruck, according to Kerner, 

 they open between 6 and 7, and close between 2 and 3. 



