Prenanthes muralis. Ivy-leaved wild 
Lettuce. 
PRENANTHES Lintuei Gen. PI. Syngenesia Polygamia ./£ qualis. 
Recept. nudum. Calyx calyculatus. Pappus fimplex, fubfeffilis 
Flofculi fimplici ferie. 
Rali Syn. Gen. 6. Herb.® flore composito, natura pleno lactescentes. 
PRENANTHES muralis flofculis quinis, foliis runcinatis. Linn. Syfi. Veget ab. p. 596. Sp. Pl. 1121. 
FI. Suec. n. 692. 
PRENANTHES foliis ferratis pinnatis, pinna fuprema triangulari trilobata. Haller, hifi. ». 1 8. 
PRENANTHES muralis. Scopoli FI. Carn. n. 964. 
LACTUCA fylveftris murorum fldre luteo. I. B. II. 1004. 
SONCHUS Levis laciniatus muralis parvis floribus. Bauhin.Pin. 124. 
SONCHUS Levis muralis. Ger. emac. 293. 
SONCHUS lasvis alter parvis floribus. Park. 805. Rail Syn. p.' 162. Ivy-leaved Sow-thiftle, or Wild 
Lettuce. Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 338. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 431. 
RADIX perennis, ramofa, pallide fufca, ladtefcens. 
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, eredtus, fimplex, fo- 
liofus, fuperne fubflexuofus, teres, glaucus, 
purpurafcens. 
FOLIA radicalia Soncho oleraceo perfimilia, inferne pur- 
purea, caulina alterna, amplexicaulia, patentia. 
FLORES parvi, lutei, eredti, paniculati. 
PANICULA ampla, nuda, ramofiflima, purpurafcens. 
CALYX communis cylindraceus, glaber, purpurafcens, 
fquamis cylindri numero corollularum, fquamis 
ad bafin cylindri tribus breviflimis inaequali- 
bus, fig. i. 
COROLLA compofita, Corollula hermaphroditae ple- 
rumque quinque, squales, in orbem fimpli- 
cem politae, latiufculae, nervofae, quinqueden- 
tats, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, capillaria, breviffima, 
flava; Anther je cylindraceae, tubulofs. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubovatum; Stylus filiformis, 
flaminibus longior; Stigma bifidum, re- 
flexum, fig. 3. 
SEMEN oblongum, bafi acuminatum, nigrum, ftria- 
tum : Pappus breviffime petiolatus, fimplex, 
fig. 4. ; lente audt./g. 5. 
ROOT perennial, branched, of a pale brown colour, 
and milky. 
j ■ STALK from one to three feet high, upright, fimple, 
; . leafy, fomewhat crooked towards the top, 
: round, glaucous, and purplilh. 
; : LEAVES next the root very like thofe of the common 
: : Sow-thiftle, purple on the under fide, thofe of 
;; the ftalk alternate, fpreading, and embracing 
• : it. 
;; FLOWERS fmall, yellow, upright, growing in a 
i I panicle. 
■ ; PANICLE large, naked, exceedingly branched, and 
; ; purplilh. 
CALYX : the common Calyx cylindrical, fmooth, pur- 
;; plilh, the fcales of the cylinder as numerous 
• as the florets, with three, very Ihort, unequal 
; ; fmall ones at its bafe, fig. 1 . 
■ COROLLA compound, Florets hermaphrodite, ufually 
five in number, equal, forming a Angle circle, 
I broadilh, ribbed, terminated by five teeth, fig. 2. 
$ 
I STAMINA: five capillary Filaments, very fhort and 
y yellow ; An therje forming a hollow cylinder. 
I PISTILLUM: Germen fubovate; Style filiform, 
I longer than the flamina; Stigma bifid and 
£ „ reflexed, fig. 3. 
I SEED oblong, pointed at the bafe and ftriated : Down 
t ftanding on a very Ihort foot-ftalk, fimple, 
t fig ■ 4- 5 magnified, fig. 5. 
Some of the old Botanifts confidered this plant as a LaBuca ; others as a Sonchus. It approaches neareft to the 
former, both in its fru&ification and habit, not but the foliage is very like that of the Sonchus oleraceus. Linnjeus, 
from the paucity of its florets, makes a diftindt genus of ir, though number feems fcarcely lufficient to Conftitute 
a generic character. This paucity of florets (there being feldom more than five) at once diftinguilhes it however 
from all its kindred ; but at the fame time we have known it not a little to puzzle ftudents beginning to learn the 
clafles, and who had ftudied them from fuch flowers as Dandelion. 
It is not a very common plant with us, but is met with occafionally on walls, in woods, and other fhady places. 
We obferved plenty of it this year on theoutfide of the pales which terminate the Terrace at the Spaniard, Hamp- 
ftead- Heath, on the declivity towards Lord Mansfield’s little wood. 
It flowers from July to September. 
