172 Elementary Botany 



florets, tubular, perfect ; many narrow ray florets, ligulate, 

 pistillate ; all yellow. Often used as a remedy for colds and 

 coughs. 



LIGULIFLOR^. 



Cichorium, Chicory. Flowers blue, sessile, upon tough 

 stems ; involucre of two rows. It is the root which is used to 

 mix with coffee. 



Lactuca, Lettuce. Few florets, with hairy pappus and oblong 

 imbricated involucre. The garden Lettuce is an exotic species 

 of this genus. 



Taraxacum, Dandelion. Lyrate leaves, radical ; flower- 

 stalk hollow, leafless ; outermost bracts of the involucre re- 

 curved ; receptacle dotted. The young plant forms a good 

 salad, and is often used by herbalists as a tea. 



The following exotic genera yield important plants : — 

 Arnica, used medicinally in case of bruises ; Calendula, 

 Marigold, also used as an external remedy for cuts, and to 

 adulterate saffron ; Carthamus, Safflower, or Bastard Saffron, 

 often used instead of true Saffron to yield the pink dye ; Cynara, 

 Artichoke ; Helianthus, Jerusalem Artichoke and Sunflower. 



LABIATiE. 



Typical plant, White Dead-nettle (Lamium album, fig. 158). 



Note, the plant is herbaceous ; stem square ; leaves oppo- 

 site ; flowers in verticillasters ; calyx inferior, five-toothed (it 

 may be ten-toothed in the order) ; corolla (figs. 308 and 191) 

 bilabiate, ringent (in some cases the corolla is almost regular; 

 fig. 309); stamens didynamous, epipetalous, fig. 214 (in the 

 Sage there are only two stamens with branched connective, fig. 

 217; and in the Mint the four stamens are equal, fig. 302) ; 

 pistil superior, four-lobed ; fruit a carcerulus (fig. 272). 



The four-lobed ovary is a most important point, as it dis- 

 tinguishes the order from the next, where there are only two 

 lobes. No plant of the order is poisonous. Many contain 

 aromatic essential oils, and are used for flavours and perfumes. 

 It is Qbiefly distributed in temperate regions, 



