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Compositaceae 425 
TRAGOPOGON SALSIFY 
Biennial or perennial; stem erect, usually branched, somewhat succulent; tap-root 
slender, fleshy. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, long-acuminate, clasping at base. Heads 
long-peduncled, solitary and 5—10 cm. wide (ours) ; involucre-bracts in | series, nearly 
equal, acuminate, united at base, exceeding the rays (ours). Corolla purple (ours), 
opening mornings. Akenes linear or terete or 5-angled, 5——10-ribbed, terminated by 
slender beaks or the outermost beakless. Pappus-bristles in | series, plumose, connate at 
base; plume-branches interwebbed. (Gk. tragos—=a goat, pogon—a beard; referring 
to the conspicuous tawny pappus. W. E. 
TT porrifolius L. (Oyster Plant) 
MALACOTHRIX 
Annual (ours); stem leafy or scape-like. Leaves sometimes all basal. Heads 
long-peduncled, solitary or in panicles, usually nodding in bud, many-flowered; involu- 
cre-bracts imbricated or merely a few very short outer ones; receptacle naked or with 
delicate bristles. Corolla yellow (ours). Akenes not flattened, short-oblong or col- 
umnar, glabrous, terete and 5—15-ribbed or else 4—5-angled by the greater prominence 
of some of the ribs; apex wide, truncate, with sharp border or edge, entire or tooihd. 
Pappus of bristles; bristles soft, scabrous or tending toward plumose near base, deciduous 
together; an outer row of mere short teeth, or with 2—8 bristles among the teeth. (Gk. 
malache—soft, thrix—hair; referring to the pappus. ) 
A.  Pappus of | series of bristles, with an exterior border of minute teeth. E. 
M. sonchoides T. & G. 
AA. Pappus of 2 series of bristles, the outer bristles 2—-8 with minute teeth between. 
B. Lobes of the lower leaves linear to filiform; outer pappus-bristles 2. E. 
M. glabrata Gray 
BB. Lobes of the lower leaves short and wider than linear; outer pappus-bristles 
2—8.  E. M. torreyi Gray 
TARAXACUM DANDELION 
Perennial, acaulescent. Leaves basal, dentate to pinnatifid. Heads large, sclitary 
(ours); inner involucre-bracts in | series, nearly equal, slightly united at base; outer 
of several series, shorter, somewhat spreading, often reflexed at maturity; rceptacle naked. 
Corolla yellow. Akene oblong or linear-fusiform, 4—5-angled, 5—10-ribbed, rough- 
ened or spinulose at least above, tapering into a very slender beak. Pappus of bristles; 
bristles capillary, filiform, unequal, simple, persistent, many. (Gk. taraktikos==a cathar- 
tic; from its medicinal properties.) W.C. E. (7. taraxacum.) 
T. officinale Webb. 
SONCHUS SOW-THISTLE 
Annual or perennial; stem leafy. Leaves mostly auriculate-clasping, entire to pin- 
natifid, prickly-margined. Heads large or medium, in corymbs or panicles; involucre- 
bracts herbaceous or membranous, imbricated in several series, the outer smaller; receptacle 
naked. Corolla yellow. Akene oval or oblong or linear, somewhat flattened, 10—20- 
ribbed, somewhat narrowed at base, truncate. Pappus of bristles; bristles many, white. 
capillary, simple. (Gk. sonchos=hollow; referring to the stem.) 
