280 Small : North American Plants 



The species just described has heretofore been confused with 

 Vernonia Baldwinii and V. Drummondii. It is readily separable 

 from its nearest relative, Vernonia Baldivinii by the smaller in- 

 volucres and their bracts which have erect or barely spreading 

 tips. The following cited specimens belong here : 



Missouri: Jackson County, Bush, no. 233A; McDonald 

 County, Bush, no. 232. 



Nebraska: Lincoln, Webber, September, 1888. 



Texas: Kerrville, Heller, PI. S. Tex. no. 1927. 



This species has been raised from seed in the nurseries of the 

 New York Botanical Garden and is now established in the herba- 

 ceous grounds. 



Vernonia maxima 



Foliage glabrous or sparingly pubescent. Stems -erect, 1-3 

 meters tall, branching above : leaves rather numerous : blades 

 narrowly elliptic to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 1—3 dm. long, 

 acuminate, sharply serrate, narrowed into short petioles or the 

 upper ones nearly sessile : corymbs 1-4 dm. broad : peduncles 

 angled, barely enlarged upward : involucres hemispheric, 4 mm. 

 to nearly 5 mm. high, rounded at the base : bracts ovate to ob- 

 long, acute to mucronate, ciliate, appressed : achenes 3 mm. long, 

 upwardly barbed on the ribs : pappus light or deep purple. 



In low ground, Ohio to Missouri, south to Alabama and 

 Louisiana. Summer and fall. 



i 



For many years Vernonia gigantea or V aliissima has been an 

 aggregate. The campestrian plant that has been known under both 

 of those names is very distinct from the Carolinian and Floridian 

 plant to which both the above cited names were originally applied. 



The campestrian plant may easily be separated from the south- 

 eastern species by the lower involucres with rounded bases and 

 their proportionately broader appressed and compactly arranged 

 bracts. The involucres of the related species are narrowed at the 

 base and have narrower loosely spreading bracts. The following 

 cited specimens belong here : 



Missouri : Jackson County, Bush, no. 230. 



Ohio: no locality, Riddell, 1834. Scioto, Merriani, Septem- 

 ber 28, 1 89 1. 



West Virginia : Monongalia County, Millspaugli, no. 677. 



Kentucky: no locality, Short, 1842. Harlan County, Kear 

 ney, no 



