352 . SYNANTHEREiE. 



XCY. SYNANTHEREIE. 



Flowers in iavolucrate heads. Calyx-limb abortive. Corolla sympetalous, valvate: 

 Derves sutural, marginal along the lobes. Stamens inserted into the corolla: anthers con- 

 nected. Ovary simple, inferior: ovnle 1, erect; style 2-fid, with collecting hairs. Ache- 

 nium with an exalbuminous embryo. — Leaves mostly exstipulate. 



This Order affords alterative, bitter, or aromatic drugs. Guaco {Mikania) is a reputed 

 antidote against serpents' bite : of this genus M. gonoclada is used in Jamaica (Pd.), M. 

 suaveolens in Trinidad (Sch.). Alterative, and often aromatic principles exist in Pterocaulon 

 virgatum, Parthenium Hysterophorus, Ambrosia artemisifolia, and Pyrethrum Parthenium ; 

 a bitter one in Neurolana lobala ; and of the resolvent property, Taraxacum is a common 

 example. Eupatorium is usually aromatic : E. villosum, as well as the Guaco, were medi- 

 cines for cholera, and E. Ayapana is cultivated as a powerful diaphoretic. Clibadium 

 Badieri is poisonous to cattle, and its branches are used for poisoning fish. Cultivated pot- 

 herbs in the West Indies are Spilanthes oleracea and Lactuca saliva. 



Tkibe I. CORTMBIFERJE.— Corolla tubular, ofligulate only in the ray-flowers. 



Series 1. Vernoniaeese. — Style-branches terete, slender, hispidulous all over. Heads 

 discoid, homogamous, cyanic. — Leaves mostly alternate. 



1. SPARGANOPHORUS, Vaill. 



Head discoid. Involucre imbricate. Receptacle naked. Corolla 3(-4)-fid. Achenium 

 turbinate, 3-5-gonal, crowned with a cartilaginous, spongy, subcrenate cupulc. — An an- 

 nual herb ; heads sessile in the axils. 



1. S. Vaillantii, G. Br. Jam. t. 34. f. 2: analyt. — Ethulia sparganophora, L. E. 

 Struthium, Sw. — l'-2' high, often branched, glabrescent ; leaves variable, elliptical or lan- 

 ceolate, serrate or remotely denticulate ; heads 2"'-3'" diam., whitish, usually several in each 

 axil. — Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., Hist., Al., March, in moist situations ; Dominica !, Imr. ; 

 Trinidad !, Cr. ,- [Cuba ! and Panama ! to Brazil ! ; trop. Africa !]. 



2. OLIGANTHES, Cass. 



Head discoid, 1-4-flowered. Involucre cylindrical, imbricate : superior scales longer. 

 Receptacle naked. Corolla 5-fid. Achenium clavate, 10-costate : pappus scaly or abortive. 

 — Trees or shrubs : branchlets tomentose ; heads in terminal, compound-contracted corymbs. 



2. O. condensata, Schultz Bip. Leaves ovate, acuminate, glabrous, reticulated and 

 pubescent on the primary veins beneath ; pedicels shorter than the 1-flowered heads ; pap- 

 pus 1 -aerial, of minute, distinct scales, or abortive, much shorter than the glabrous achenium. 

 — Less, in Linnaa, 4.f 39—41 : analyt. — Adenocyclus, Less. : Sieber's specimen (Trin. 73), 

 with a rudimentary, deciduous pappus, while Crueger's form would belong to Odontoloma, 

 which is consequently identical. — A tree, 20'-40' high ; flowers rosy. — Hab. Trinidad !, 

 Sieb., Cr., in the hills of Fort Scorge : a large-leaved form, with the pappus as large as the 

 exterior scales in Vernonia ; Chacochacocco, a smaller-leaved form, with a minute pappus. 



3. VERNONIA, Schreb. 



Head discoid, many (-1) -flowered. Involucre imbricate : superior scales longer. Recep- 

 tacle naked. Corolla 5-fid. Achenium cylindrical or clavate : pappus mostly double -. inner 

 series pilose, exterior usually minute, scaly. — Leaves often glandular; heads usually in 

 terminal, corymbiform cymes ; flowers purple or blue. 



* Heads single, sessile at the top of leafy branches. (Leptospermoides, DC.) 



3. V. bahamensis, Gr. (n. sp.). Shrubby, hoary-velvety with very short appressed 

 down ; leaves obovate-roundish, acute at the base, mucronate, petioled ; heads single, sessile 

 immediately above the uppermost leaves ; involucral scales ovate, acuminate, velvety ; ache- 

 nium hairy -. pappus white. — Resembling V. Thoma, Benth., of S. Thomas ; but distin- 



