TRIPTIL'ION SPINO'SUM 
SPINY TRIPTILION. 
EXOGENiE. 
OR 
EICOTYLEDONEiE. 
1 
Natural division 
to which 
this plant belongs. 
NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSITE. 
CALYCIFLOE®, 
OF 
DECANDOLLE. 
Artificial divisions 
to which 
this Plant belongs. 
SYNGENESIA, 
.EQOaLIS 
OF LINNEUS. 
No. 224. 
GENUS. Triptilion. Ruiz et Pavo. Capitulum quinquefloruin, 
homogamum. Invollcri biseriati, floribus brevioris foliola decern, carinata, 
spinula terminata, exteriora patentia, coriacea, interiora erecta, margine scari- 
osa. Receptaculum epaleatum, piloso-fimbrilliferum. Corolla bilabiatse, 
labio exteriore multo latiore, tridentato, interiore bidentato vel bifido. An¬ 
ther.® caudatae. Achenia erostria, obpyramidata, costato tri-tetraquetra, 
pilosa vel glaberrima. Pappi uniseriati, long! aleae ternaa-quinae, latae, 
subconduplicatse, apice recurvo longe fimbriatse vel ciliatae, intus s*pius 
pilosce. Herb® chilenses, erectae, humiles ; foliis rigidae membranaceis, 
alternis, sessilibus, varie pinnatifidis, lobis spinescentibiis, superioribus semi- 
amplexicaulibus, capitulis fasciculatis vel glomeratis, coerulescentibus. End- 
LicHER. Genera Plantarum, p. 496. 
SPECIES. Triptilion spiNosuM. {Reuz et Pavo.) Caulk herbaceo ad 
apicem corymbose pubere, foliis pinnatilobatis, lobis in mucronem spinosum 
desinentibus. Decamjolle. Prodromiis. Pars VII, j). 51. 
Character of the Genus, Triptilion. Capitule five-flowered, 
homogamous. The involucre shorter than the flowers, consisting of 
ten carinate folioles, terminated by a spine, and arranged in a double 
series, the outer ones spreading, and coriaceous, the inner ones erect, 
and scarious at the margins. Receptacle destitute of palese or 
scales, but bearing short hairs or fimbriae. The Corolla two-lipped, 
the outer lip much broader, three-toothed, the inner two-toothed or 
two-cleft. Anthers furnished with a tail. Achenia (fruit) without 
a beak, obpyramidal, owing to its elevated ribs three or four-square, 
pilose, or quite smooth. Pappus in one roNv, very long, consisting of 
three or five broad, subconduplicate stalks, recurved at the apex, with 
long fimbriae, or ciliae, often downy or hairy in the inner side. 
Description of the Species, Triptilion spinosum. Herb 
very much branched, branches squarrose. Stems two feet high, 
numerous, decumbent, flexuose, slender, round, stiff*, every where 
covered copiously with hairs. Leaves scattered, sessile, lanceolate, 
revolute at the margin,universally hairy, cartilaginous, dry, from half 
an inch to an inch in length, with a prominent rib on the under 
surface, but otherwise veinless, the lower ones pinnatifid, the upper 
ones incisedly toothed, or rarely entire, the segments few, lanceolate. 
