COMrOSlTE FAMILY. 



205 



means of the pappas. The plant is medicinal, and is popular as a 

 remedy in diseases of the liver. The leaves are used as a pot-herb, or 

 " greens," and the young radical leaves, when blanched, are said to 

 make a good substitute for Endive. 



32. LACTU'CA, Tournef. Lettuce. 



[Latin, Lac, milk ; in reference to its milky juice.] 



Heads few, or several-flowered. Involucre subcylindrical ; scales in 2 - 

 4 series, — the outer ones shorter and broader. Akenes flatly obcom- 

 pressed, wingless, abruptly produced into a filiform beak. Pappm in 

 several series of soft white hairs. Leafy-stemmed caulescent lierbs. 

 Heads of flowers paniculate or corymbose. 



1. L. Scaeio'la, var. sati'va, Moris. Stem corymbosely branching, 

 leafy ; radical leaves erect, oval, narrowed at base, wavy, — the cauline 

 ones cordate, amjDlexicaul. 

 Garden Lettuce. Salad. 



Fr. La Laitue. Germ. Der Salat. Span. Lechuga. 



Plant smooth, mostly yellowish green and glaucous, — sometimes fuscous and tinged with 

 dark purple. Root annual. Stem 2-4 feet high ; branches clothed with numerous small 

 leaves. Heads numerous, terminal, small. Inner scales of the involucres lanceolate, — the 

 outer or lower ones ovate. Florets yellow. Akeiies lance obovate, striate-ribbed, about 

 half as long as the fihform beak. 



Gardens : cultivated. N-ative comitry uncertain, — probably India. Fl. July. Fr. Aug 



Obs. This plant — called salad, par excellence — is almost universally 

 known, and cultivated. Those forms known as Curled and Head Salad, 

 formerly considered as distinct species, are now believed to be mere 

 varieties of the above. The milky juice with which the plant abounds 

 at flowering time is very bitter, and possesses narcotic properties ; col- 

 lected and dried, it form.s the Lactucarium of the shops, which is some- 

 times used as a substitute for Opium. There is a native species (L. 

 elong'a'ta, Mahl.) freqiieatly to bo met with, on the firm ; but it is 

 scarcely of sufficient importance to be entitled to notice, here. 



33: SON'CHUS, L. Sow-thistle. 



[Ancient Greek name of obscure meaning.] 



Heads many-flowered, tumid at base. Scales of involucre more or less 

 inbricated. Akenes compressed, ribbed, not beaked; j^appws copious, 

 of very white, soft, fine silky hairs, smoothish and glaucous herbs ; 

 florets yellow. 



1. S. olera'ceiis, L. Leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, dentate, sagittate and 

 clasping ; akenes transversly rugose. 

 Common Sow-thistle. 



Annual. Stem 2 -.3 feet high, branched, hollow, tender, glandular -pilose above. Leaves 

 3-8 inches long, — the loicer ones runcinate, on petioles 1-2 inches in length, — upper one? 

 clasping. Heads of flowers in terminal and axillary cymose panicles ; peduncles thickisb 



