Page:Miscellaneousbot02brow.djvu/318

 302 OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURAL FAMILY

123] descriptive of the pappus of the male flower only. Its species are Gnaphalium dioicum Linn., alpinum L., car- paticum Wahlenberg, plantagineum L., and margarita- ceum L.

The second tribe, consisting of Gnaphalium Leontopodium 124] and Leontopodioides, which may be called Leonto- podium, is in affinity intermediate between Antennaria and Gnaphalium as here limited, but has sufficient characters to distinguish it from both.

The third tribe has been found only in South Africa, and consists of shrubs with small rigid heath-like leaves, of which the margins are incurved, the upper surface tomentose, and the under convex and nearly smooth ; but by a remarkable twisting they are in most of the species resupinate ; a character which seems to have been over- looked in all the described species ; namely, Gnaphalium muricatum, mvcronatum, and seriphioides. In this tribe, or genus, which may be named Metalasia, the involucrum is generally cylindrical, and in most of the species has a short radius formed by the spreading coloured laminae of the inner scales ; the flosculi are few in number, and all hermaphrodite ; and the radii of the pappus, which fall off separately, are either thickened or more strongly toothed at top.

Calea jnnifolia does not even belong to this genus, though it has a nearly similar habit ; but the margins of its leaves are revolute, and their tomentum chiefly on the under surface. In these respects, as well as in the prin- cipal characters of fructification, it agrees with several shrubs, chiefly of New Holland and Van Diemen's Island ; among which are Mwpatorium ferrugineum, Eupatorium rosmarinifolium, and Chrysocoma cinerea of M. Labillar- diere. Part of these have the inner squamae of the invo- lucrum simple, as seems to be the case in Calea jrinifolia ;

antherae are evidently imperfect, and which generally produces ripe seeds, is represented in English Botany (tab. 38), in Flora Danica (281), and probably also in Sven^k Botanik (170). For my knowledge of this fact respecting Ser- ratula tineloria I am indebted to the Rev. Robert Bree of Camberwell, who pointed out to me both its states, which he was then disposed to consider as distinct species.

�� �