I 



A new Species of Lacinaria 



By H. Ness 



(Tlate 351.) 



Lacinaria cymosa 



Perennial from globular or oblong tuberous root 1-2 cm. in 

 diameter: stem slender, erect, rigid, 35-45 cm. high, corymbosely 

 branched above, leafy puberulcnt throughout : leaves smoothish 

 and minutely punctate; the radical and lower cauline 15-20 cm. 

 long and 1-1.5 cm. wide, lanceolate and tapering at the base to a 

 clasping petiole ; the upper sessile, linear, and gradually smaller : 

 inflorescence a simple or, on stronger specimens, a compound 

 cyme; heads about 25 mm. high, with about 20 purplish-red or 

 pale-purphsh flowers ; involucre about 2 cm. long, oblong-cylin- 

 drical ; scales numerous, closely imbricated in about six series, 

 puberulent and ciliate-margincd, with rounded or almost truncate, 

 appressed, and often slighdy rnucronate apices ; the outer^orbicular 

 to oblong ; the inner oblong to linear with dark-purplish tips : pap- 

 pus purplish, plumose, shorter than corolla-tube, but about equal 

 to the achenes ; the corolla about 1 5 mm. long, smooth inside, 

 with lanceolate, obtusish spreading teeth ; stamens included, with 

 the usual notched terminal appendages ; style exserted, the 

 branches flat, dilated upwards, and several times longer than the 

 short purple-colored stigmatic lines ; achenes oblong, about 8 mm. 

 long, lo-ribbed, hi.spid on the ribs. 



This plant was found during October, 1896, one mile south 

 from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, growing 

 in a limited number over about two acres of ground, where the 

 stiff clayey soil is so poor that only a few species of grass dispute 

 the ground with it. I have not been able to find it in any other 

 place. In the following autumn, when the spot w^as again visited, 

 for the purpose of obtaining more specimens, I found that the 

 plants had apparently increased in number, and were spreading be- 

 yond the area where they were first discovered. 



This species differs from the other species of Lacinaria in hav- 

 ing a rather loose, corymboid cyme, reminding one of Vernonia. 

 In the heads it somewhat resembles L. cylindracea Michx., having 

 about the same number of flowers and a somewhat similar invo- 



(21) 



