SoLiDAGO. COMPOSITiE. i>13 



closely sessile and mostly entire ; the short and dense racemes forming a 

 crowded and leafy pyramidal panicle. Heads middle-sized. Rays 10-12. 



39. S.neglecta: stem stout, smooth; leaves thickish, smooth and gla- 

 brous; the radical and lowest can line oblong or ovate-lanceolate, appressed- 

 serrate, petioled ; the others elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, mostly acute at 

 each end, sessile (often obscurely tripUnerved) finely appressed-serrale ; the 

 upper entire; racemes short, den"se, secund, somewhat spreading, disposed in 

 an elongated or pyramidal somewhat leafy panicle ; peduncles and pedicels 

 nearly glabrous; scales of the 8-12-flowered involucre oblong, obtuse; rays 

 rather large ; achenia nearl}' glabrous. 



In swamps, Massachusetts! and New York ! to North Carolina ! and In- 

 diana! Aug.-Sept. — This not uncommon Solidago has doubtless been no- 

 ticed; but we cannot refer it, with reasonable probability, to any described 

 species. It is distinguished from S. arguta by its elongated panicle, with 

 short racemes, which are at first erect (the lower often shorter than the leaves 

 which subtend them) ; by the larger heads with much fewer flowers, &c. : 

 from S. Muhlenbergii by the more entire and rigid, seldom acuminate leaves, 

 more strict and terete stem, fewer-flowered heads, &c. : from S. elliptica by 

 the broad and obtuse scales of the involucre (which are pubesceni-ciliate at 

 the tips), and the smooth achenia. The primordial radical leaves are oblan- 

 ceolate or narrowly oblong, finely crenate-serrate, often obtuse, tapering into 

 slender petioles ; which are frequently succeeded by larger acuminate radi- 

 cal leaves, resembhng those of S. arguta, but less strongly serrate. Several 

 varieties occur ; as 1, with coriaceous leaves, deep green above, the margins 

 scarcely scabrous ; the panicle either small and strict, or large and loose, 

 with many of the lower racemes often shorter than the leaves (Can this be 

 S. verrucosa, Schrad. ?), or sometimes compound from the stem producing 

 corymbose branches at the summit (this is possibly the S. dubia, Scopoli, 

 Smith, the S. Clelise, DC.) : 2, leaves less rigid, with very scabrous margins, 

 the cauline elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, short, more entire ; panicle large 

 and often crowded : 3, leaveslonger and narrower, often tripUnerved above 

 the middle; sometimes sharply serrate; and 4, if we mistake not, with the 

 leaves slightly scabrous. Sometimes the racejxies are erect, at least until 

 old, and but sUghtly secund, approaching S. stricta. 



40. S. patula (Muhl.) : stem angled and striate, smooth, usually branched 

 above; leaves (large) elliptical, acute, serrate, entirely smooth and glabrous 

 beneath; racemes mostly short and crowded on the elongated somewhat leafy 

 branches, at length spreading or recurved ; peduncles scabrous-pubescent ; 

 scales of the involucre oblong; rays 6 or 7, the disk-flowers 8-10 ; achenia 

 sparsely and minutely pubescent. — Muhl.! in Willd. sj^ec. 3. p. 2059 ; 

 Beck. hot. p. 190 ; Darlingt. ! fl. Cest. p. 457. S. asperata, {herb. Banks., 

 mss.) Pursh, fl. 2. p. 538,- Hook.! fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 3. S. angulata, 

 Schrad. in DC. prodr. 5. p. 331 ? 



(3. siriclula: stem simple or nearly so ; the very short racemes, at first 

 erect and scarcely secund, constituting a virgate compound raceme ; upper 

 leaves small.— S. salicina. Ell. sk. 2. p. 389.^ S. scabra, Hook. ! compan. 

 to lot. mag. 1 p. 97. 



Swamps, meadows, and moist woods, Canada, Massachusetts! New York I 

 and Wisconsin! to Georgia! and Louisiana! (not uncommon.) /3. North 

 Carolina ! to Florida ! and Louisiana ! Aug.-Sept. — This species is readily 

 distinguished by the shagreen-like roughness of the upper surface of the am- 

 ple somewhat coriaceous leaves, and their livid or leaden hue, especially in 

 dried specimens; while the pale lower surface is perfectly smooth (a charac- 

 ter pointed out by Dr. Darlington, but unaccountably omitted by Willde- 

 now, although mentioned by Muhlenberg in his mss. Flora Lancastriensis) ; 

 and also by the strongly- angled stem, and the pretty large heads disposed 



