262 
LII. COMPOSITE 
between the beaks. Achenes obovoid, thick, enclosed in the 
hardened, involucral bracts. 
Valleys below Simla, common near villages and roadsides ; April-November. 
— Common throughout India, ascending to 5000 ft.— Most tropical and tem- 
perate regions. 
A plant of anomalous structure. Native name chota datura. 
This species is naturalised in Australia, where it has become a troublesome 
weed, and the Government of Queensland has spent considerable sums in its 
attempted extirpation. 
26. SIEGESBECKIA. In honour of Dr. J. G. Siegesbeck, a 
German botanist of the eighteenth century. — Tropical and sub- 
tropical regions. 
Siegesbeckia orientalis, Linn.; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 304. An erect 
herb, 1-3 ft., clothed with crisped hairs ; branches opposite, 
spreading. Leaves opposite, ovate or broadly triangular, 2-5 x 
1J-4 in., coarsely toothed, acute or obtuse ; stalks winged. Heads 
radiate, J in. diam., in leafy panicles. Involucral bracts in two 
series, the outer five bracts spathulate, long, narrow, spreading, 
glandular-pubescent, inner ones shorter, erect ; receptacle flat, 
covered with small, concave scales ; flowers yellow, sometimes 
white ; pappus none ; li gules 2- or 3-lobed ; corolla of the inner 
flowers 3-5-lobed. Achenes curved, angled, blunt at the base. 
Simla, common ; September, October.— Throughout India, ascending to 
6000 ft.— All warm regions. 
27. ECLIPTA. From the Greek ecleipo, to omit or leave out ; 
referring to the absence of the pappus. — Most tropical regions. 
Eclipta alba, Hassk. ; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 304. A slender, usually 
erect, roughly pubescent herb, 1-2 ft. Leaves very variable, 
opposite, sessile, narrowly lanceolate, 2-3xJ-J in., toothed or 
nearly entire. Heads radiate, J— J- in. diam., terminal on erect 
stalks. Involucral bracts leaf-like, outer larger ; receptacle flat, 
covered with broad, folded scales each enclosing several flowers ; 
flowers white ; pappus of 2-5 minute teeth ; ligules 2-toothed or 
entire ; corolla of the inner flowers 4-5-lobed. Achenes narrowly 
oblong, ribbed, tipped with the pappus teeth. 
Valleys below Simla, in ricefields or marshy ground ; August, September. — 
Throughout India, ascending to 5000 ft. — All warm regions. 
28. SCLEROCARPUS. From the Greek scleros, hard, and 
cargos, fruit. — Asia, Africa, tropical America. 
Sclerocarpus africanus, Jacq. ; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 305. An erect, 
roughly pubescent herb, 1-2 ft. Leaves lower usually opposite, 
