822 LXV. COMPOSITE. [Epaltes. 



numerous with only 1 or 2 hermaphrodite sterile florets in the disk or none at 

 all, in others the female florets few with rather numerous sterile ones. Style of 

 the disk-florets undivided. Fertile achenes without any pappus, sterile ones with 

 a few long deciduous bristles. — Epaltcs amtralis, DC. Prod. v. 462, not of Less.; 

 Kthvlia Cunninr/Jiawii, Hook, in Mitch. Trop. Austr. 62 ; Ethuliopsis dioica, F. 

 V. M. Fragm. ii. 155 ; PI. Vict. t. 88. 

 Hab.: Keppel and Shoalwater Bays, B. Broicn; not uncommon in various wet localities. 



2. E. australis (Australian), Less, in Linima v. 148, and Syn. Comp. 206 

 Benth. Fl. Austr. in. 5S0. Annual (or sometimes perennial?), branching at the 

 base and diffuse or prostrate, small or rarely exceeding 1ft., glabrous scabrous or 

 hirsute with transparent hairs. Leaves petiolate, obovate or euneate-oblong, 

 entire toothed or almost lyrate, ^ to l^in. long. Flower-heads lateral, sessile or 

 shortly pedunculate. Involifcre depressed-hemispherical, 2 to 8 lines diameter, 

 the bracts orbicular, concave and very obtuse. Female florets not exceeding the 

 involucre, short, and not so slender as in E. Cunninghamii, and very numerous ; 

 disk-florets fewer, 3 to 5-lobed. Style usually branched with short narrow obtuse 

 lobes. Achenes all witbout any pappus, those of the disk mostly but not always 

 sterile. — Spharomorpliaa petiolaris, DC. Prod. vi. 140. 



Hab.; A common weed. 



The species has, at first sight, some resemblance with Oentipeda orUcularis, especially in 

 inflorescence, but besides the distinctly tailed anthers and other floral characters, it is readily 

 distinguished by the involucre. 



8. E. Harrisii (after C. C. Harris), F. r. M. Fragm. xi. 101. Annual, 1^ 

 to 3in., of loose weak habit, root very slender, simple. Leaves 4 to 8 lines long, 

 membranous, not decurrent uponi the petiole, somewhat remotely toothed. Heads 

 in pairs or solitary, sessile in the axils of the leaves, 1^ to 2 lines long. Bracts 

 of involucre glabrous, acute, outer ovate, inner ovate-lanceolate. Female florets 

 many-seriate, herr|aaphrodite ones very few in the centre. Style-branches slender, 

 erect. Achenes glandular-scabrous. 



Hab.: Endeavour Eiver, C. C. Harris {P. v. M. l.c.) 



26. SPH^RANTHUS, Willd. 



(Flower-heads in globular clusters.) 



Flower^heads small, sessile in dense globular clusters or compound heads. 

 Involucres ovoid, the bracts linear, imbricate in several rows. Florets not 

 numerous, those of the circumference female filiform and minutely 2 or 3-toothed, 

 hardened at' the base ; disk-florets very few, hermaphrodite but sometimes 

 sterile, tubular, 5-toothed, thickened at the base. Anthers without tails or 

 points at the base. Styles of the disk-florets bulbous at. the base, simple or with 

 2 slender branches, papillose outside towards the end. Achenes oblong, some- 

 what flattened, without any pappus. — Coarse erect herbs. Leaves alternate, 

 toothed, decurrent on the stem. Compound flower-heads terminal. 



The genus comprises very few species, ranging over tropical Asia and Africa, the two 

 Australian ones being the two most common over the whole area. 



Pubescent or hirsute. Involucral bracts ending in a subulate ciliate point. 

 Disk-florets (always ?) sterile 1. S. hirtus. 



(Glabrous. Involucral bracts scarious, i>ften jagged at the end. Disk- 

 florets (always ?) fertile 2. fif. viicrocephalus. 



1. S. hirtus (hairy), Willd..- DO. Prod. v. 369 ; BenUi. Fl. Austr. iii. 521. 

 Erect with few divaricate branches, more or less hirsute, 1 to 2ft. high. Leaves 

 dbovate, oblqng or lanceolate, irregularly and acutely toothed, or almost lobed, 

 decurrent alon| the steni into interrupted toothed wings. Flpwer-bea^g 



