Aspcrula.] LXIV. RUBIACE^. 783 



whorls of 6, linear, almost obtuse or shortly pointed, but without the fine point 

 of A. scoparia. Flowers in little terminal cymes or clusters, almost sessile 

 within the last whorl of leaves. Corolla above 1 line long in the males with a 

 elender tube, much shorter with a short broad tube in the females. Fruit smooth 

 or rugose by drying. — A. olir/antha, F. v. M. Fragm. ix. 187. 



Hab.: Peak Downs, Darling Downs, Warwick, and other southern localities. 

 Var. elongata. Stems long and slender. Leaves J to Jin. long, narrow-linear, obtuse. 

 Flowers very small, — Between Stanthorpe and the border of New South Wales. 



Order LXV. COMPOSITE. 



Flowers or jtorets collected together in a head (rarely reduced to a single 

 floret), surrounded by an involucre of several bracts, either in one row or 

 imbricated in several rows, the whole having the appearance of a single flower. 

 Eeceptacle on which the florets are inserted either naked or bearing chaffy scales 

 or hairs or bristles between the florets. In each floret the calyx is wanting or 

 converted into a pappus or ring of hairs or scales on the top of the ovary. 

 Corollas either all hermaphrodite, tubular, and 5 or rarely 4-toothed (heads 

 discoid), or all hermaphrodite and lir/ulate, that is with a slender tube and a flat 

 strap-shaped lamina, or those of the centre or disk tubular or hermaphrodite or 

 male, and those of the circumference either ligulate and female or neuter, 

 forming a ray (heads radiate), or filiform and female (heads discoid but hetero- 

 f/amous). Stamens 5, rarely 4, inserted in the tube of the corolla, the anthers 

 linear and united in a sheath round the style (except in Xanthitcm or where more 

 or less imperfect), 2-celled, opening inwards by longitudinal slits, the connective 

 usually produced at the top into a small erect appendage, She anther obtuse or 

 sagittate at the base, the basal lobes sometimes prolonged into short and acute or 

 long very fine and hair-like points or lobes called tails. Ovary inferior, with a 

 single erect ovule. Style filiform, usually divided at the top into two short 

 stigmatic branches. Fruit a small seed-like nut or acliene, crowned by the 

 pappus or naked. Seed erect, without albumen. Embryo straight or rarely 

 curved. Eadicle inferior. — Herbs, shrubs or very rarely small trees, with 

 alternate or opposite leaves, without stipules. Flower heads terminal or very 

 rarely axillary, solitary or in panicles usually corymbose, sometimes reduced to 

 clusters or compound heads, the general inflorescence often centrifugal, the 

 inflorescence within the head always centripetal. 



The most extensive family amongst flowering plants, and represented in every quarter of the 

 globe and in every variety of station ; most abundant in America, in Southern Africa, in 

 Australia, and in the Mediterranean region of the northern hemispere, the species less 

 numerous in proportion in tropical Asia and Africa. — Benth. 



Taking the most important of the tribual characters it will be found that — 



The leaves are always alternate in GynaroidecB, Vernoniacece, Senecioiiidece, and Gichoriaeece' 

 and with few exceptions also in Asteroidece, Ambrosiece, Anthemideai, and' Gnaphaliece ; almost 

 always opposite in Etipatoriacece and Helianthece. In Gnaphaliea they are always quite entire, 

 in the other tribes they vary, entire, toothed, lobed, or divided. 



The flower-heads are homogamous and discoid in Gynaroidea, Vernoniacece, and Eupatori- 

 aceffi, homogamous and ligulate in Gichoriacece, strictly unisexual in ^^mftrasieffi, heterogamous, 

 with the florets of the circumference ligulate or filiform in the other tribes, with exceptionally 

 discoid and homogamous species or genera, rare in Asteroideis anA Anthemidece, more frequent 

 in Gnaphalieie and Senecionideai. 



The scales of the receptacle are characteristic of Heliantheie, and occur only in a few excep- 

 tional genera in other tribes. 



Tailed anthers characterise with few exceptions the Gynaroidece and Giiaphaliece, and prevail 

 in a portion of Asteroidece. They never occur in Eupatoriacece, Helianthoidece, Ambrosiece, 

 Anthemidece, or Senecionidem, and are very rare in Vernoniacea. 



The pappus is generally deficient or reduced to a ring or cup in Anthemideai, consists of rigid 

 awns or scales or is wanting in Helianthoidece, and is most frequently capillary in other tribes, 

 but with so little constancy that it is of very little use in tribual distinctions. 



