Synopsis of Indian Composite. 29/ 



plano-convex, the marginal angle ciliate near the apex : 

 pappus sparing subsetose. Erect ramous herbs, suffruticose 

 at the base : leaves alternate : receptacles of the capitula 

 bearing numerous concave membranaceous palea among the 

 flowers : involucrum few leaved, scarcely distinguishable from 

 the palea of the receptacle. 



22. Sph^eranthus, capitula heterogamous several flower- 

 ed densely aggregated into a globose glomerulus : flowers 

 all tubular : females thickened at the base 3-dentate, several 

 series in the circumference : males, by abortion of the style, 

 in the centre 5-toothed : style in the centre florets undivided : 

 achsenia beakless, pilose : pappus none. Herbs, leaves de- 

 current, peduncles winged or wingless, one cephalous, glo- 

 merules dense : scales of the partial involucrum numerous, 

 2-3-series : partial receptacle naked, general bracteolate, 

 flowers purple. 



23. Oligolepis, (R. W. Calcutta Journal not Cassini). Ca- 

 pitula numerous heterogamous, about 5 flowered : flowers all 

 tubular ; females few (about 4) 1 -series pedicelled slender 3- 

 dentate in the circumference ; hermaphrodite solitary in the 

 centre sessile 5-toothed subcampanulate : style in the central 

 flower undivided : achsenia beakless, of the females terete 

 hairy, of the disk obsoletely 4-sided glabrous : pappus none. 

 Glabrous herbs with decurrent spathulate leaves, and dense 

 ovate oblong axillary glomerules : involucra usually one scale 

 to each flower, that of the hermaphrodite much larger, form- 

 ing a common involucrum to the capitulum, aristato-mucro- 

 nate ; those of the females linear, truncated at the apex and 

 adhering at the base to the pedicels : hermaphrodite corolla 

 large subcampanulate, made up of a congeries of quadrangu- 

 lar cells very fragile under the knife. [The plant which 

 forms the type of this genus is the Spharanthus amaran- 



