496 



THR COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



1. Mouse-ear Hawkweed. Hieracium Pilosella, Linn. 



(Fig. 594.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1093.) 



Stock perennial, with spreading tufts 

 of radical leaves, and creeping, leafy, 

 barren shoots. Leaves much smaller 

 than in the British species, oblong or 

 lanceolate, entire, tapering at the base, 

 and often stalked, green above with a few 

 long hairs, white underneath with a 

 short stellate down. Peduncles radical, 

 with a single head of lemon-coloured 

 flowers, often tinged with red on the 

 outside. Involucres and upper part of 

 the peduncle more or less clothed with 

 a minute and close, whitish down, mixed 

 with short, stiff, spreading black hairs. 

 Achenes shorter in proportion to the 

 pappus than in the other species. 



In dry pastures, on banks and road- 

 sides, throughout Europe and Russian 

 Asia, from the Mediterranean to the 

 Arctic regions. Yery common in Britain. Fl. the whole season. In 

 southern Europe it is very variable, but in Britain presents no diffi- 

 culties. The only other species with creeping runners ever admitted 

 into our Floras, the orange H. {H. aurantiacum, Eng. Bot. t. 1469), is 

 a native of the mountains of southern Europe, which may here and 

 there have spread out of some cottage gardens, but is not naturalized ; 

 it has radical peduncles, bearing a corymb of small, orange-red flower- 

 heads. 



Fig. 594. 



2. Alpine Hawkweed. Hieracium alpinum, Linn. 



(Eig. 595.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1110.) 



Hootstock short and thick, sometimes shortly creeping, but without 

 creeping leafy stems. Leaves chiefly radical, oblong or lanceolate, 

 slightly toothed, green, with a few long hairs. Peduncles or flower- 

 stems about 6 inches high, simple or rarely divided into 2 simple 

 branches ; they usually bear 1, 2, or even 3 small narrow leaves, and 

 a single rather large head of bright yellow flowers. Involucres and 



