131 



SPHENOGYNE SPECIOSA. 



{Showy Sphenogyne.) 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



POLYGAMIA FRUSTRANEA. COMPOSITE § SENECIONIDEiE. D.C. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Sphenogyne (R. Br.) Capitatum multiflorum radiatum. Floribus radii ligulatis 1-seria- 

 libus neutris, disci tubulosis 5-dentatis hermaphroditis. Receptaculum paleaceum, paleis 

 scariosis flores amplectentibus saepius apice truncatis. Involucrum campanulatum multiseriale, 

 squamis imbricatis, interioribus majoribus apice ample scariosis. Stylus in ramos apice trun- 

 catos fere cuneatos desinens. Antherce appendice terminali subcordiformi superatfe. Achenium 

 pilis mollibus e basi ortis cinctum, cylindraceuni nec basi angustum. Pappus 1-serialis palea- 

 ceus, latoinis obovatis cuneatisve obtusis ante anthesin contortarum more spiraliter dispositis, 

 junioribus pellucidis, adultis lacteis opacis. Herboe aut suffrutices Capenses antbemidis facie. 

 Folia alterna saepius pinnatiloba, rarius trifida, imo integerrima. Rami apice pedunculiformes 

 nudi 1-cephali. Corollce flavae aut apice fuscse, ligulis interdum subtus rubris. — Decandolle, 

 Prod. vol. v. p. 681. 



Head many-flowered, rayed, flowers of the ray ligulate, in one row, neuter, those of the disc 

 tubular, five-toothed, bearing male and female organs. Receptacle chaffy, shaft skinny, em- 

 bracing the flowers, frequently truncate at the apex. Involucrum campanulate, many- rowed. 

 Scales imbricate, the interior ones the larger, widely scarious at the apex. Style passing into 

 truncate branches at the apex, almost wedge-shaped. Anthers crowned with a somewhat heart- 

 shaped, terminal appendage. Achenium surrounded with soft hairs arising from the base, cylin- 

 drical, scarcely narrowed at the base. Pappus one-rowed, chaffy, divisions obovate, or cuneate, 

 obtuse before flowering, and arranged in a spiral manner, the younger ones pellucid, the old 

 ones milky and opake. Herbaceous., or suffruticose plants, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 having the appearance of camomile. Leaves alternate, oftentimes wing-lobed, rarely trifid, the 

 lower ones entire. Branches peduncle-formed at the apex naked, bearing one head of flowers. 

 Corolla yellow or brownish at the apex. Ray sometimes red on the under side. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



S. speciosa ; glabra ramosa ; foliis pinnatifidis, laciniis linearibus ; scapo elongato subnudo, 

 1-cephalo ; involucris acuminatis, margine fuscis ; squamis intimis apice magnis scariosis ; ligulis 

 apice tridentatis croceis basi atrofuscis. 



Smooth, branched, leaves pinnatifid, divisions linear; scape ' elongated, nearly naked, one- 

 headed; involucres tapering, margin brown, the most inward scales with a large scarious 

 appendage at the apex ; ray three-toothed, deep yellow, dark brown at the base. 



Sphenogyne speciosa. — Hort. 



Sphenogyne versicolor. — Dec. ? Prod. vol. v. p. 681. 



