COMPOSITE 



THE PLANT: erect, one foot to five feet high, usually 

 branched; the stem grooved and hairless or with somewhat 

 stiff, short hairs on the lines, succulent, often dark purple, 

 with rank odour and a juice most nauseous to the taste. 



THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; 

 two inches to eight inches long; thin, acuminate at the 

 apex; stemless and slightly clasping at the base, or the 

 lower narrowed into petioles; dentate and often deeply 

 cut; with rough margins; in drying turn black. 



THE FLOWER HEADS: seldom an inch long, about one 

 quarter inch in diameter; the involucre cylindrical, con- 

 spicuously swollen at the base before flowering; its bracts 

 numerous, green or dark purple, with rough margins. 



THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus bright white. 



An uninteresting, weedy-looking plant that grows prac- 

 tically anywhere in poor soil in the Town as well as on 

 the Commons. It has a heavy, succulent stem, with coarse 

 leaves and small tubes for flower heads, green, tipped with 

 white, that are later followed by pure white puff-balls, the 

 only good-looking part of the plant! 



The popular name, Fireweed, has been given it, because 

 it is supposed to be one of those plants that come up after 

 a fire, but on account of its name it is not to be confused 

 with the handsome Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium} of 

 the Commons, that has large magenta flowers, and promi- 

 nent stamens. 



COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Arc-Hum tomentosum, Fernald. 



Light magenta Burdock, 



Cuckoo Button. 

 July-October 



Arctium: from Greek for "a bear," in allusion to the rough 



involucre. 

 Tomentosum: Latin for a stuffing of wool or hair. 



414 



