COMPOSITE FAMILY 



untamed beauty and vigor. H. decapetalus is 

 to be looked for in wet woods, H. strumosus in 

 dry ones, though sometimes they change domi- 

 ciles after the manner of plants. HeliantJms 

 divaricdtiis, the Rough Woodland Sunflower, has 

 very spreading leaves, rather thick and rough, 

 and enjoys the same habitat as the two others. 

 The Great Sunflower, Helidnthiis giganteus, 

 common in swamps and wet meadows, reaches 

 the height of ten feet, and overtops its com- 

 panions. The stem is rough, the leaves lance- 

 olate, mostly alternate. The heads are usually 

 several on a stem and long-peduncled. The 

 flower-heads are about two or more inches across, 

 and the rays number from fifteen to twenty. 

 Bracts are narrow, pointed, and spreading. 

 The Saw-Toothed Sunflower, Helidnthus grosse- 

 serrdtus, is scarcely distinguishable from gigan- 

 teus according to descriptions in the books, save 

 that the stems are smooth, purplish, and glau- 

 cous. The leaves are lanceolate, alternate, ser- 

 rate, and acuminate. One prefers swamps, the 

 other prefers open spaces. Both are noticeable 



