GENUS 35. 



THISTLE FAMILY 



g. Erigeron pulchellus Michx. Robin's 

 or Poor Robin's Plantain. Fig. 4369. 



E. pulchellus Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 124. 1803. 

 E. bellidifolius Muhl. ; Willd. Sp. PI. 3 : 1958. 1804. 



Perennial by stolons and offsets, villous- 

 pubescent ; stems simple, slender, io'-24' high. 

 Basal leaves tufted, spatulate or obovate, 

 somewhat cuneate at the base, narrowed into 

 short margined petioles, obtuse at the apex, 

 i '-3' long, i'-2' wide, dentate or serrate; stem 

 leaves sessile, partly clasping, oblong, lanceo- 

 late or ovate, mostly acute, entire, or spar- 

 ingly serrate; heads 1-6, slender-peduncled, 

 I'-iV broad; involucre depressed-hemispheric, 

 its bracts linear, acuminate, villous; rays nu- 

 merous, violet or purplish, 4"-?" long ; achenes 

 nearly glabrous; pappus simple. 



On hills and banks, Maine to Ontario and Min- 

 nesota, Kansas, Florida and Louisiana. Recorded 

 from Quebec and Nova Scotia. Rose-petty. 

 Robert's-plantain. Blue spring-daisy. April-June. 



10. Erigeron philadelphicus L. Philadel- 

 phia Fleabane. Skevish. Fig. 4370. 



Erigeron philadelphicus L. Sp. PI. 863. 1753. 



Perennial by stolons and offsets, soft-pubescent 

 or sometimes nearly glabrous ; stems slender, 

 mostly branched above, i-3 high. Basal and 

 lower leaves spatulate or obovate, obtuse, dentate, 

 i '-3' long, narrowed into short petioles; upper 

 stem leaves clasping and often cordate at the 

 base, obtuse or acute, dentate or entire; heads 

 several or numerous, corymbose-paniculate, 5"- 

 12" broad, slender-peduncled ; peduncles thick- 

 ened at the summit; involucre depressed-hemi- 

 spheric, its bracts linear, usually scarious-mar- 

 gined ; rays 100-150, 2"-^" long, light rose-purple 

 to pinkish ; pappus simple ; achenes puberulent. 



In fields and woods, Labrador to British Columbia, 

 Florida and California, but locally rare. Races differ 

 in leaf-form and pubescence. Buds drooping. Sweet 

 scabious. Daisy-fleabane. April-Aug. 



ii. Erigeron divergens T. & G. Spreading 



Fleabane. Fig. 4371. 

 Erigeron divergens T. & G. Fl. N. A. 2 : 175. 1841. 



Annual or biennial, diffusely branched, 6'-is' high, 

 densely cinereous-pubescent or hirsute. Basal and 

 lower leaves spatulate or oblanceolate, acute or ob- 

 tuse, mostly petioled, entire, dentate or lobed, i'-2 

 long, 2"-5" wide, the upper sessile, linear or nar- 

 rowly spatulate, usually acute, gradually smaller; 

 heads slender-peduncled, 8"-i2" broad, usually nu- 

 merous ; involucre hemispheric, about 2" high, its 

 bracts linear, acute, hirsute or canescent ; rays about 

 loo, purplish, violet or nearly white, 2" -4" long; 

 pappus double, the shorter outer row of bristles 

 subulate. 



In moist soil, Montana to Nebraska, Texas, Mexico, 

 Washington and California. April-Sept. 



