COMPOSITE. 



447 



the double-flowering S. elegans from the Cape, the S. Cineraria from the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, and the numerous varieties of one or two 

 Canary Island species, known to our gardeners as greenhouse Cinerarias. 

 The S. saracenicus, a tall perennial, from central and eastern Europe, 

 with narrow undivided leaves, is said to be perfectly naturalized near 

 Stradbally, Queen's County > Ireland. 



1. Groundsel Senecio. Senecio vulgaris, Linn. (Fig. 531.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 747. Groundsel.) 



An erect, branching annual, from 6 

 inches to near a foot high, glabrous or 

 bearing a little loose, cottony wool. 

 Leaves pinnatifid, with ovate, toothed or 

 jagged lobes. Flower- heads in close ter- 

 minal corymbs or clusters. Involucres 

 cylindrical, of about 20 equal bracts, 

 with several outer smaller ones. Florets 

 almost always all tubular, without any 

 ray whatever. Achenes slightly hairy. 



A very common weed of cultivation 

 throughout Europe and Russian Asia, 

 but not extending into the tropics, and 

 less disposed than many others to mi- 

 grate with man. Abundant in Britain. 



Fl. all the year round. ^. KO _, 



,7 Fig. 531. 



2. Viscous Senecio. Senecio viscosus, Linn. (Fig. 532.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 32, the ray rather too large, and 8. lividus, Eng. Bot. 

 t. 2515 ?) 



A coarser, harder, and taller annual than the Groundsel S., and co- 

 vered all over with a short, viscous, strong-smelling down, the leaves 

 more deeply divided, with narrower, more jagged lobes, the flower- 

 heads rather thicker, with more florets, and on longer peduncles, form- 

 ing a loose, terminal corymb. Outer scales of the involucre usually 

 but 2 or 3, and nearly half as long as the inner ones, of which there are 

 about 20. Outer florets ligulate, but small, and rolled back so as at 

 first sight to escape observation. Achenes glabrous. 



