Tolpis
(a name given by Adanson, probably without meaning, as was his custom). ORD. Compositae. A genus comprising less than eighteen species of pretty, hardy, annual or perennial herbs, rarely with a slightly woody caudex, natives of the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands. Flower-heads pale or bright yellow, homogamous; ray florets truncately five-toothed at apex; involucre campanulate; bracts narrow, the lower ones one or two-seriate, the upper ones in many series; receptacle naked or honeycomb-like. Leaves mostly radical, or alternate on the lower part of the stem, entire, toothed, or pinnatifid, the upper ones often narrow. The following species, which are those best known to cultivation, are well suited for the ornamentation of flower borders, where the seed may be sown in spring. All flower in June. T. altissima (very tall). A synonym of T. virgata.
T. barbata (bearded). Yellow Garden Hawk Weed. fl.-heads, involucre slightly farinose, the outer scales subulate-falcate. l. lanceolate, toothed. Stems erect, branched, leafy. South Europe, &c. SYN. Crepis barbata (B. M. 35). T. macrorhiza (large-rhizomed). fl.-heads nearly as large as those of T. barbata, disposed in an ample panicle; involucre farinose-pubescent; pappus of fifteen to twenty bristles; pedicels squamellose. l. undivided, oblong, toothed, sessile, slightly fleshy-coriaceous. Stems shrubby, branched; root thick, fleshy. Madeira. Plant highly glabrous. SYN. Crepis macrorhiza (B. M. 2988).
T. umbellata (umbel-flowered). fl.-heads pale yellow, one-half smaller than those of T. barbata; peduncles tomentose at apex. l. oblong-linear, toothed; upper ones entire. Stems erect, branched, nearly naked. h. 2ft. South Europe, 1820.
T. virgata (twiggy). fl.-heads small; pappus of six to ten bristles; involucre and pedicels farinose-pubescent. l. elongated, linear-lanceolate, toothed; upper ones linear, entire. Stem erect, branched, glabrous. h. 3ft. South Europe, &c., 1823. SYN. T. altissima.
T. v. grandiflora (large-flowered). fl.-heads citron-colour; involucre mealy, the outer scales short and subulate. l. radical, lanceolate, toothed, sparsely hairy, densely villous towards the base. South Italy, Sicily, &c., 1830.