Sonchus.] XXXIX. COMPOSITAE. 361 



1. T. officinale, Weber in Wigg. Prim. Fl. Holsat. 56. Root stout, fleshy. 

 Leaves extremely variable, 2iri.-8in.' long, pubescent or glabrous, narrow-oblong 

 oblong-obovate or spathulate, sinuate-toothed or runcinate-pinnatifid. Invo- 

 lucres campanulate ; outer bracts usually recurved, inner erect. Achenes 

 striate or ribbed, the ribs rough. 



Var. glabratus. Smaller. Leaves 2in.-4ia. long, slender, linear-oblong. Heads Jin.-Jin. in 

 diameteif, suboylindrio. Aohenea with prominent ribs and raised minute points, murioate. — Leon- 

 todon glabratum, Banks and Sol. MSS. 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands : the large form naturalised in pastures throughout the colony. 

 Var. glabratus truly indigenous. Matakana (1865), T. K. Mercury Bay ; Tolaga Bay; Banks and 

 Sol. I Gape Terawhiti, T. Z. SOUTH Island: more frequent in the mountains. Amuri, T. K. 

 Sea-level to i.OOOft. Dec. to Feb. ; var. glabratus, Nov., Dec, speedily disappearing. Dandelion. 



After fertilisation the inner involucral bracts close over the florets, forming a cone, and the 

 pappus is raised up by the slender beak. After the fruit is formed all the bracts ate reflexed, when 

 the exposed fruits, with the radiate pappus, form a globose head. 



* LACTUCA, Tourn. 



Heads small ; involucres narrow, cylindrical, conical in fruit ; bracts fevsr, 

 very unequal, in 2-4 series, imbricate. Eeceptacle flat, naked. Florets usually few, 

 all ligulate. Anther-cells shortly tailed. Achenes plane, compressed, suddenly con- 

 tracted and produced into a slender beak, dilated at the apex. Pappus short soft 

 caducous, hairs falling separately. Erect annual or perennial herbs, simple or 

 branched, with copious milky juice. Leaves alternate. Heads corymbose or 

 paniculate. 



Leaves runcinate with linear segments, entire or hastate. Beak longer than the 



grey aohene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. * L. salujna. 



Leaves lyrate-pinnatifid or entire. Beak shorter than the terete achene . . ..*£,. muralis. 



*L. saligna, L., Sp. PI. 796. Erect, lft.-2ft. high. Stems strict, slender, 

 slightly branched. Leaves almost glabrous ; lower runcinate-pinnatifid or entire, 

 segments narrow-linear, acute ; cauline linear, entire, with a sagittate amplexicaul 

 base. Inner involucral bracts much longer than the others, linear-lanceolate. Achene 

 grey, with a narrow border, shorter than the long slender beak. 



NORTH Island: Petane, Hawke's Bay, A. Hamilton! Jan., Feb. 



* L. muralis, E. Mey., Chlor. Eannov. 431. Annual, erect, lft.-3ft. high, very 

 slender. Leaves glabrous, lyrate-funcinate ; segments angled and toothed, term irial 

 lobe largest ; cauline amplexicaul, auricled. Heads panicled ; iDranches of panicle 

 slender, spreading. Florets about 5. Achene ribbed and muricate, black, longer 

 than the beak. 



SOUTH Island : abundantly naturalised in the Kaikoura Mountains ; T. K. Dec, Jan. 

 Europe. 



27. SONCHUS, Tourn. 



Involucre ovoid ; iracts imbricate, in 2—3 series, unequal, becoming 

 conical after flowering. Receptacle flat, naked. Florets numerous, all ligulate, 

 yellow or purple. Upper part of style and style-arms hairy. Achenes much 

 compressed, grooved, ribbed or transversely rugose. Pappus-hairs iu many 

 series, simple., Annual or perennial succulent herbs, with hollow stems and 

 copious milkv juice. Heads in loose corymbs or panicles. 

 35 



