LXV. COMPOSITE. 879 



80., SAUSSUREA, DC. 



(After Hoiace Benjamin Saiissurc.) 

 (Aplotaxis, DC.) 



Involucre ovoid or oampanulate, not longer than the florets, the bracts 

 numerous, imbricate, not prickly, the inner ones the longest. Receptacle bear- 

 ing bristles between the florets. Florets all tubular, regular with 5 narrow 

 lobes. Anthers tailed. Style-branches linear, slightly thickened at the base. 

 Achenes glabrous. Pappus of several plumose bristles united in a ring at the 

 base, with a few outer simple or short bristles or scales, sometimes on one side 

 only or very small, rarely wholly wanting. — Erect herbs. Leaves toothed or 

 lobed or pinnately divided. Flower-heads rather large and solitary, or smaller 

 and paniculate. Florets purplish. 



A considerable genus, spread over the hilly regions of the northern hemisphere, chiefly in the 

 Old World. The only Australian species is also in India and China. — Benth. 



1. S. carthamoides (Carthamus-like), Benth. Fl. Hongk. 168 and Fl. 

 Aiistr. iii. 456. An annual, with a rigid erect branching stem of 1 to-2ft., or 

 sometimes more, sulcate and slightly cottony. Leaves deeply pinnatifid or 

 lyrate, the lower lobes narrow, the terminal one broad, thin, green above, white 

 and cottony underneath, 3 or 4in. long; the lower leaves sometimes ovate and 

 nearly entire on long petioles, the uppermost few, with narrow lobes. Flower- 

 heads few, on long peduncles. Involucre campanulate, 6 to 8 lines diameter, 

 the numerous bracts linear-lanceolate, often very pointed but not pungent. 

 Achenes striate, slightly curved. Outer pappus usually of several very short 

 scales or bristles united in a minute oblique ring but very variable in size and 

 number, sometimes very deciduous, leaving only the minute oblique ring, or 

 very small from the first or entirely wanting.- — Serrattda carthamoides, Eoxb. Fl. 

 Ind. iii. 407 ; Aplotaxis carthamoides, Ham. in DC. Prod. vi. 540 ; A. multicaulis, 

 DC. I.e., and in Deless. Ic. PI. iv. t. 68 ; A. foliosa, Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soo, 

 XX. 77 ; Haplotaxis australasica, F. v. M. Fragm. i. 36. 



Hab. : Dawson and Burnett Elvers, F. v. Mueller ; Keppel Bay, Thout. 



81. CENTAUREA, Linn. 



(After the Centaur Chiron.) 



Involucre globular or ovoid, the bracts imbricate, numerous, usually ending 

 either in a prickle or in a fringed or toothed appendage. Eeceptacle bearing 

 numerous bristles between the florets. Florets all tubular and 5-lobed, the 

 outer row often larger and neuter. Anthers tailed. Style-branches linear, 

 often cohering, thickened at the base. Achenes glabrous, usually obliquely or 

 laterally attached at the base. Pappus short, of simple bristles or scales, some- 

 times very short, or rarely wholly wanting. — Erect or prostrate herbs, usually 

 rigid. Leaves alternate, entire or pinnatifld, rarely prickly. Flower-heads 

 large and solitary, or smaller and paniculate. Florets purple-blue or yellow. 



The species are very numerous in the Mediterranean and Caucasian regions of the northern 

 hemisphere, with a very few American species, and some of the common ones spread with 

 civilisation over various parts of the globe ; one, if not two, are indigenous in Queensland. 

 Involuoral bracts, outer ones short with a nearly orbicular appendage, the 



innermost ones tapering narrow-linear tips 1. C. australis, 



Involucral bracts oblong, obtuse, cottony, tips broad with brown scarious 



toothed margins 2, G. cyanus. 



Involuoral bracts rigid, the appendages of the outer ones small with short 



palmate spines, intermediate bracts with a rigid spine and short divaricate 



ones at the base, inner bracts with a short simple spine 3. C. melitensis. 



Involucral bracts with longer spines than the last, the inner ones with jagged 



gearious appendage without any spine i. C, soUlitialU^ 



