COMPOSITE FAMILY 



The general colour-tone of this low, bushy plant is yel- 

 low-green. The flower heads are a yellow- creamy white 

 and the stem (much branched at the top) as well as 

 the narrow leaves is "velvety hairy and delicately sage 

 green." The plant has an aromatic odour, strong and 

 very lasting, which resembles that of slippery elm, and 

 while one cannot call the succulent stems "tasty," the 

 Xantucket boys say they used to chew them to quench 

 their thirst. 



From the plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat- 

 ment of sciatica. 



COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Ambrosia artemisiifolia, L. 



Green Ragweed, Black-weed, 



Hay weed, Butter-weed, 



July-October Hay fever-weed, Tassel-weed, 



Hog-weed, Roman-wormwood. 

 Carrot-weed, 



Ambrosia: the Greek and Latin name of several plants as 

 well as the food of the gods, signifying to die immortal. 



Artemisiifolia: Latin, meaning "the leaves of the Arte- 

 misia," in allusion to the fact that these leaves resemble 

 those of the Artemisia. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields. 



THE PLANT: erect, paniculately branched, one foot to 

 five feet high; the stem with short, soft hairs or more or 

 less stiff ones. 



THE LEAVES: upper, alternate; lower, mostly opposite; 

 all very variable; one to two pinnatifid or the leaves of 

 the flowering branches often undivided; two to four 

 inches long; above, smoothish; beneath, paler and with 

 ashy-grey hairs; petioled; the divisions, lanceolate, acute 

 or obtuse at the apex. 



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