Helminthia. | XLIII, COMPOSITZ. ie 
terminal corymb. Outer broad bracts of the involucre 4 or 5, rough like 
the leaves: inner ones about 8, lanceolate, and much thinner. Achenes 
ending in a beak, with a dense, white, feathery pappus. Pieris echioides, 
Linn. 
On hedge-banks, edges of fields, and waste places; common in central 
and especially southern Europe to the Caucasus, scarcely extending into 
northern Germany. JDispersed over England and south-east Scotland; 
east Ireland rare. 27. summer and autumn. 
XXXI. PICRIS. PICRIS. 
Coarse, hispid herbs, with toothed leaves, and rather small heads of 
yellow flowers, in a loose, irregular corymb. Involucre of several nearly 
equal, erect, inner bracts, with 2 or 3 outer rows of smaller ones, usually 
spreading. Achenes transversely striated, not beaked, with a whitish 
pappus, of which the inner hairs at least are feathery. 
A genus containing but few species, natives of Europe and temperate 
Asia, having much the appearance of Hzeracium and Crepis, but readily 
distinguished by the feathery pappus. 
1, P. hieracioides, Linn. (fig. 579). Hawkweed Picris.—A biennial, 
1 to 2 or 3 feet high, covered with short, rough hairs, most of which are 
minutely hooked at the top, so as to cling to whatever they come in contact 
with. Leaves lanceolate, the lower ones tapering into a stalk, and often 6 
inches or more long, the upper ones clasping the stem. Peduncles rather 
long and stiff. Involucres scarcely 6 lines long. Pappus of a dirty white, 
the hairs usually very feathery, except a few of the outer ones of each 
achene. 
On roadsides, borders of fields, and waste places, in southern and central 
Europe, as far as southern Scandinavia, in temperate Russia and central 
Asia, and now spread as a weed of cultivation to many other parts of the 
world. Abundant in the greater part of England, extending to Roxburgh 
in Scotland, absent from Ireland. AV. summer and autumn. 
XXXII. LEONTODON. HAWKBIT. 
Herbs, with a perennial stock, radical, spreading leaves, simple or slightly 
branched, usually leafless flower-stems, and yellow flowers. Involucres of 
several nearly equal, erect, inner bracts, and two or three rows of smaller 
outer ones. Receptacle without bracts between the florets. Achenes more 
or less tapering at the top into a short beak, sometimes scarcely perceptible. 
Pappus of all, or at least the central florets, composed of feathery hairs. 
A genus not numerous in species, but abundantly spread over Europe and 
Russian Asia. It was formerly united with Taraxacum, from which it has 
been separated on account of the feathery pappus. 
All the achenes with a pappus of feathery hairs. 
Hairy plant, with simple flower-stems. Pappus with an outer 
row of minute, simple hairs : . = : : ; 
Plant nearly glabrous. Flower-stems often divided, enlarged 
under the flower-heads. All the hairs of the pappus of equal 
length . : : . ° ° ° . . . . . 
Achenes of the outer row of florets with a pappus of very short, 
simple hairs. Flower-stems simple .. : : ; : . 3 LD. hirtus. 
1, &. hispidus, Linn. (fig. 580). Common Hawkbit.—The whole 
S 2 
1, ZL, hispidus. 
2. D. autumnalis, 
