60 BRITISH HIEKACIA.. 



down. Involucres rather floccose, with numerous brittle black- 

 based white hairs and a few setge. Thyllaries slightly acu- 

 minate, or attenuate and sub-acute, innermost occasionally cus- 

 pidate. Florets nearly or quite glabrous. Styles livid, but some- 

 times so faintly as to appear almost yellow. 



In the wild state this plant differs from S. easium in being 

 floccose throughout and of a more robust habit ; also in its taller 

 and less rigid stem, much larger soft root-leaves, and half clasping 

 Btem-leaves. 



Under cultivation this species becomes very robust, bearing a pro- 

 fusion of unusually large soft root-leaves, and branching from every 

 axU on its leafy stem, frequently forming a spreading corymb of 

 15 to 25 heads. It is conspicuous for its mealy appearance, caused 

 by the remarkable covering of very minute stellate down which 

 clothes the whole plant. This character is sometimes scarcely 

 discernible on the upper surface of the root-leaves when old. 



Though differing in some respects from the H. stelligerum of Froel. 

 and Fries, I believe that this plant is a form of the same species. The 

 usual presence of hairs on the leaves and stem, more robust habit, and 

 occasionally more numerous and somewhat clasping stem-leaves, 

 are but slender authority for the separation of a species j and 

 although neither Fries nor Grrenier (to whom I have transmitted 

 specimens) identify our plant with the continental H. stelUgerum, 

 and I am only acquainted with that species from the descriptions of 

 it in the works of foreign authors, I nevertheless prefer adopting that 

 name rather than giving a new one. Should it ultimately prove to be 

 distinct from the true H. stelUgerum it may bear the name of 

 M. floeeulosim, under which (provisional name) numerous specimens 

 have already been circulated. 



