Pterifleron.] LXV. COMPOSITE. 819 



the lobes subulate or slightly flattened, sometimes united to the top, papillose 

 outside towards the end. Achenes nearly terete, silky-hairy. Pappus of scabrous 

 denticulate or almost plumose capillary bristles. — Herbs, usually rigid and 

 glandular-pubescent or hirsute. Leaves alternate, entire or toothed, sometimes 

 decurrent. Flower-heads large or small, terminal, and usually forming terminal 

 leafy corymbs. 



The genus is exclusively Australian. Originally established by De CandoUe as a section of 

 Erigeron, it has been shown by A. Gray to form a very distinct genus, allied in many respects 

 to Flucliea, but differing in the prominently bulbous base of the style, and usually in the irregu- 

 larity of the ray floret?, which connect it with Dieoma, amongst Mutisiacea. It ought perhaps 

 to include Coleocoma and 2'hespidiuvi, notwithstanding their anomalous pappus. — Benth. 



Flower-heads large, almost hemispherical. 

 Eay-florets ligulate, fully J line broad, exceeding the involucre. Leaves 



narrow or o6ovate, not decurrent , . . . . 1. P. liatroides. 



Bay-florets very slender, about as long as the involucre. Leaves 



oblong, stem-clasping or slightly decurrent 3. P. macrocephahis. 



Flower-heads ovoid. 



Leaves decurrent. Eay-florets about as long as the involucre . . . . 2. P. odorus. I 



Leaves not decurrent. Bay-florets very slender and shorter than the 

 involucre. 

 Leaves mostly oblong. Flower-heads broadly ovoid, 6 to 8 lines long 4. P. microglossvs. 

 Leaves mostly linear. Flower-heads numerous, many-flowered, 

 about 4 lines long . 5. P. adscendeiis. 



1. P. liatroides (Liatris-like), Benth. Fl.Amtr.m. 5^2. Erect, rigid and 

 scabrous-pubescent, hirsute or at length nearly glabrous, attainiijg sometimes 

 Ifft., but often flowering when a few inches high. Lower leaves obovate, 

 narrowed into a rather long petiole, the upper ones oblong-cuneate or linear, 

 obtuse, sinuate-toothed or nearly entire, not decurrent. Flower-heads large, not 

 numerous, in a terminal corymb. Involucre hemispherical, nearly lin. diameter, 

 the bracts broadly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, the inner ones 7 to 8 lines 

 long and coloured at the apex. Eay-florets ligulate, exceeding the involucre, the 

 ligula fully ^ line broad and 2 lines long, usually 3-lobed. Style of the disk- 

 florets 2-lobed. Achenes silky-villous. Pappus-bristles not numerous, almost 

 plumose. — Plucliea ligulata, F. v. M. Rep. Babb. Exped. 12 ; Streptoylossa Steetzii, 

 F. V. M. in Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb. vii. 491, partly; Erirjeron liatroides, Turcz. 

 in Bull. Mosc. 1851 i. 172. 



Hab.: Becorded for Queensland by F. v. Mueller. 



2. P. odorus (scented), Benth. Fl. Austr. iii. 632. Apparently perennial 

 and in the normal form erect, rigid, more or less hirsute, with virgate branches, 

 under 1ft. high. Leaves sessile and more or less decurrent, the lower ones 

 oblong or lanceolate, obtuse, irregularly toothed, above lin. long, the upper ones 

 smaller and linear. Flower-heads mostly terminating very short branches, 

 sessile within 2 or 3 floral leaves. Involucre narrow-ovoid, the bracts imbricate 

 and rigid, the outer ones short, acute or almost obtuse, the inner ones 4 lines 

 long and very acute. Eay-florets about 8 to 10, about as long as the involucre, 

 slender, with 2 or 3, rarely 4 or 5 narrow lobes, more or less distinctly arranged 

 in 2 lips. Style of the disk-florets 2-lobed, the branches slightly flattened and 

 obtuse. Aehenes silky-villous. Pappus bristles denticulate, almost plumose. — 

 Pluchea odora, F. v. M. Eep. Babb. Exped. 12. 



Hab.: Cloncurry, Etheridge, and Tate Elvers. 



8. P. macrocephalus (flower-heads large), Benth. Fl. Austr. iii. 532. 

 Glandular-pubescent or hirsute. Leaves oblong or linear-cuneat^, irregularly 

 undulate and toothed, stem-clasping, but only rarely and very slightly decurrent. 

 Flower-heads large, almost hemispherical when fully out, Jin. long. Eay-florets 



Part III. Q 



