COMPOSITE. 



477 



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. 



On hedge-banks, edges of fields, and 

 waste places ; common in central and 

 especially southern Europe to the Cau- 

 casus, scarcely extending into northern 

 Germany. Dispersed over England and 

 Ireland, but does not reach Scotland. 

 FL summer and autumn. 



Fig. 572. 



XXX. FICBIS. 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, usu- 

 ally 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 HawJcweed and Crepis, but readily 

 distinguished by the feathery pappus. 



1. Hawkweed Picris. Pieris hieracioid.es, Linn. (Fig. 573.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 196.) 



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 what- 

 ever 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. 



