244 7 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. [Tussilago. 
smal), narrow, alternate leaves or scales, and terminal flower-heads, either — 
solitary or in a raceme. Involucre of several linear bracts, with a few — 
small outer ones. Outer florets female, either filiform or narrow-ligulate, — 
the inner ones tubular, or sometimes all tubular. Receptacle without scales. — 
Branches of the style cylindrical or club-shaped. Achenes cylindrical, with 
a copious pappus of simple hairs. 
A genus of very few European or north Asiatic species, easily known 
among British Composites by the peculiar foliage. 
The winter Heliotrope of our gardens, Tussilago fragrans, will some- 
times establish itself near where it has been planted; it is very near 
T. Petasites, but easily known by its fragrant flowers. 
Flower-heads pani the external florets Mae and narrow-ligu- 
late. 1. 7. Farfara, 
Flower-heads ina compound raceme, purple or pink, ‘nearly all 
tubular, or nearly all small and filiform, not ligulate . . 2. T. Petasites 
1. T. Parfara, Linn. (fig. 537). Common Coltsfoot, Coltsfoot.— 
Flowering stems simple, but often growing in tufts, erect, about 6 inches 
high, more or less covered with a loose, white cotton ; the small leaves or 
scales numerous, oblong or linear, entire and erect. "Flower- head solitary, 
terminal ; the florets of the ray numerous, ligulate, very narrow, but not 
long, of a bright yellow. Radical leaves appearing much later ‘than the 
flower-stems, 4 or 5 inches broad, angular and toothed, covered underneath 
with a loose, white, cottony wool, of which there is a little also on the upper 
side. 
In waste and cultivated ground throughout Europe and central and 
Russian Asia to the Arctic Circle, and a very troublesome weed in poor, 
stiff soils. Abundantin Britain. J. early spring. 
2. IT. Petasites, Linn. (fig. 539). Butterbur Coltsfoot, Butterbur.— 
Leaves of 7. Farfara, but usually larger. Flowering stems not in 
tufts, often a foot high when full-grown, with many flower-heads, of a 
dull pinkish-purple, in a narrow-oblong terminal panicle, and almost 
dicecious. The male plant has a looser panicle of smaller heads, the 
florets either all tubular and male (the pistil, although apparently perfect/ 
having no ovule and forming no seed), or with a few filiform female ones 
on the outside; the female panicle more compact, the heads larger, the 
florets all filiform, or with a few tubular male ones in the centre. Petasites 
vulgaris, Desf. 
In sandy meadows, on the banks of streams, or roadsides, in Europe and 
Russian Asia, but not an Arctic plant. Frequent in England and in Ireland, 
extending into southern Scotland. FV. spring. It is often distinguished 
from Tussilago as a genus, under the name of Petasites. 
Gene 
XX. SENECIO. SENECIO. 
Herbs (or, in some exotic species, shrubs), with alternate, toothed or _ 
divided, rarely entireleaves. Flower-heads in terminal corymbs ; the florets 
of the disk yellow and tubular, those of the ray also yellow (or, in some 
exotic species, blue, purple, or white), spreading, or rarely wanting. Invo- 
lucre cylindrical or nearly hemispherical, with 1 or 2 rows of linear bracts 
of equal length, often tipped with brown, usually, but not always, accom- 
panied by a few small outer bracts at their base. Receptacle without scales. 
