between Middle-town and Sarabourne ; and on the licdse-bank between Wash- 
Cord and the Boot, at Mapleboiough Gieen : Mr Bur ion. — On walls in Mellos' 
Lane, and Vineyard Lane, Warwick: Mr. \V. G. PtnitY. — Worcestersh. 
Blackstone Rock, and Rock Wood, near Bewdley ; in a wood by Picket Rock, 
and Summer Hill, near Kidderminster; and Rock Hill, a mile and a half from 
Broomsgrove, on the road to Alcester: Mr. W. G. Perry, in Loud. Mag. of Nat. 
Hist. v. iv. p. 451.— SCO I LAND. On shady rocks, and walls of old castles in 
the Lowlands: Rev. J. Lightpoot. — IRELAND. Abundant in woods at 
Oollon: Dr. Wade, in Mackay’s Catai. 
Perennial. — Flowers from July to September. 
Root somewhat woody, fibrous. Whole plant smooth, tender, 
and brittle, with a milky, bitter juice. Stem from 1 to 2 or 3 feet 
high, upright, slender, round, hollow, leafy, simple below, some- 
what zigzag (flexuose) towards the top, glaucous and purplish. 
Leaves runcinate (cut into several transverse segments which point 
backwards), toothed, clasping the stem at the base ; lower segments 
smallest, terminal one large, somewhat triangular, toothed, and very 
much resembling the leaves on the creeping stems of ivy ; their 
under side is often more or less purple. Root-leaves stalked. Pa- 
nicle very much branched, and singularly divaricated (spreading 
widely from each other) in all directions. Floral-leaves ( bracteas) 
small, egg-shaped, pointed. Flowers upright, bright yellow. Outer 
Calxjx of 3 egg-shaped, or spear-shaped scales ; the inner of 5 strap- 
shaped, purplish leaflets, which are membranous at the edges. Seeds 
inversely egg-shaped, striated, black. Seed-down elevated on a 
short stalk or pedicle as the seed ripens. 
The Order Composites, to which the present plant belongs, is one 
of the most extensive, most natural, and best defined in the vegeta- 
ble kingdom. It is composed of Herbaceous plants and shrubs, with 
alternate (rarely opposite) leaves. Their yZotum(called/Zore<$),which 
are generally small, are collected into dense heads, called capitula, 
or calathidia, which are hemispherical, globular, and more or less 
elongated. Each head, or capitulum, is composed of a common re- 
ceptacle; an involucrum which surrounds the capitulum, and which 
is composed of scales, the form, number, and disposition of which 
vary in different genera; and small scales or hairs, which are fre- 
quently found on the receptacle at the base of each flower, and called 
palce of the receptacle. The ftowers which form the capitula, are 
of two kinds, either funnel-shaped, with 4 or 5 regular lobes, when 
they are called florets (fiosculi) ; or strap-shaped, when they are 
called semiflorets ( semiflosculi J ; sometimes the capitula are com- 
posed exclusively of florets f flosculosce J , sometimes exclusively of 
semiflorets fsemiflosculoscej , and sometimes their centre , or disk, is 
occupied by florets, and their circumference, or ray, by semiflorets 
fradiatcej. Each flower presents the following organization. The 
Calyx, which is adherent to the ovary, and undistinguishable from 
it, has its limb entire, membranous, toothed, and formed of scales, 
hairs, or feathers, and called pappus. The Corolla of one petal, 
regular or irregular ; five Stamens, with distinct filaments, and 
united Anthers, which form a tube, through which passes the simple 
Style, terminated by a bifid Stigma. 
Th e fruit is a small, indehiscent, dry pericarpium, crowned with 
the limb of the calyx. Seed solitary, upright; embryo with a taper, 
inferior radicle ; albumen none. — See Richard's Elem. of Bot. and 
Lind. Syn. of the British Flora. 
