288 
LII. COMPOSITE 
lateral lobes pointing downwards, sometimes only one pair ; teeth 
small ; basal lobes acute, entire or pinnatifid. Heads j-1 in. diam. 
Simla, in fields, common ; July-October. — Throughout India, ascending to 
8000 ft.— All temperate and many tropical regions (Britain, Sowthistle). 
3. Sonchus arvensis, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 414. Glabrous 
towards the base, glandular-hairy upwards ; stems 2-4 ft. 
Leaves mostly radical, pinnatifid, 4-6 in. ; lobes pointing down- 
wards ; teeth small ; basal lobes rounded, appressed to the stem. 
Heads 1-2 in. diam. 
Simla, roadsides, common ; July-October. — Throughout India, ascending to 
8000 ft. — All temperate and many tropical regions (Britain, Corn Sowthistle). 
58. LAXJNiEA. In honour of M. de Launay, a French 
botanical author of the eighteenth century. — W. Asia, Africa, 
Europe. 
Glabrous, perennial herbs ; stems or branches erect or 
decumbent ; juice yellow. Radical leaves numerous, spreading, 
sessile, oblong, 4-8 x 1-3 in., pinnately lobed or pinnatifid ; 
segments entire or coarsely toothed, obtuse or acute, margins at 
least of the older leaves beset with minute, hard, sharp, white 
teeth. Stem-leaves few or none, similar but smaller. Heads 
ligulate, narrow, ^-§ in. long, shortly stalked, solitary or in 
clusters usually forming more or less interrupted racemes. 
Involucral bracts many, green, margins white, membranous, inner 
ones long, equal, narrow, outer shorter ; receptacle flat, naked ; 
flowers yellow ; pappus copious, soft, white, not feathery, united 
at the base ; ligules long, spreading, 5-toothed. Achenes narrowly 
oblong, smooth, ribs thick, rounded ; pappus soon falling off. 
Stems erect. Achenes as long as the pappus . . . 1. L. secunda. 
Stems decumbent. Achenes much shorter than the pappus 2. L. nudicaulis. 
1. Launsea secunda, G. B. GlarJce ; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 416. Stems 
erect, 1-3 ft., nearly or quite leafless except near the base ; 
branches long, slender. Heads ^ in. long, solitary or in small 
clusters of 2 or 3, forming long, one-sided racemes. Achenes as 
long as the pappus. 
Sutlej valley ; July-October.— N.W. India, ascending to 5000 ft. 
2. Launsea nudicaulis, Less . ; FI. Br. Ind. iii. 416. Stems 
tufted, usually numerous, decumbent, branching, 6-24 in., naked 
or with a few small leaves below the flower-clusters. Heads 
in. long, in clusters of 2-5 or about 10, rarely solitary, form- 
ing much interrupted racemes or crowded together at the end of 
branches. Achenes much shorter than the pappus. 
Valleys below Simla, in fields ; April-June. — Throughou India, ascending 
to 8000 ft. 
