318 COMPOSITjE. ViGuiERA. 



1. V. Texana: stem hairy, sparingly branched ; leaves alternate (the low- 

 est opposite), rhomboid-ovate, acuminate, sparingly serrate, triplinerved, 

 appressed-pubescent, somewliat scabrous above, abruptly contracted into 

 long villous petioles; peduncles solitary or subcorymbose ; scales of the in- 

 volucre villous-canescent, in 1-2 series, with linear fohaceous appendages ; 

 chaff of the nearly flat receptacle membranaceous, ovate, cuspidate; rays 8- 

 10; achenia appressed-pubescent. 



Texas, Dnimmond ! — Root and base of the stem unknown. Leaves 4-5 

 inches long, 2-3 broad, membranaceous; the lower petioles 2 inches in 

 leno-th. Appendages of the involucral scales longer than the ovate-oblong 

 appressed portion; or those of the inner series, when present, shorter. Chaff 

 scarious, with a short rigid cusp. Squamellae of the pappus small, roundish, 

 lacerate-fimbriate : awns rather shorter than the achenia, dilated and lacer- 

 ate-denticulate near the base. — Apparently near V. laxa, DC 



97. HELIANTHUS. Linn.; Schkuhr, liandh. t. 258; Less. syn. p. 229. 

 Heliantlms& Harpalium, Cass., DC. excl. § Harpalizia'? 



Heads many-flowered ; the ray-flowers several or numerous, neutral ; 

 those of the disk perfect. Involucre imbricated in 3 or more series ; the 

 scales with or without foliaceous tips or appendages. Eeceptacle flat or 

 convex ; the persistent chaff embracing the achenia. Corolla of the disk 

 commonly 10-nerved, with a short proper tube. Branches of the style his- 

 pid, terminated by a subulate-conical appendage. Achenia 4-sided or most- 

 ly compressed, not winged or margined. Pappus of 2 chaffy scales or awns, 

 arising from the principal angles of the achenia, and often with 2 or more 

 smaller intermediate scales or squamellse, very deciduous. — Annual or per- 

 ennial (chiefly North American) mostly rough herbs; with opposite, some- 

 limes alternate or scattered, commonly triplinerved leaves. Heads solitary 

 or somewhat corj-mbose. Rays yellow ; the corolla of the disk yellow, or 

 sometimes dark-purple at the summit. — Sunflower. 



The corolla of the disk in Helianthus is generally lO-nerved, the 5 additional or 

 secondaiy nerves corresponding widi the axis of the lacinise : in H. mollis there are 

 commonly 10 others, alternating with the former, but they seldom extend to the la- 

 cinise. H. Radula, H. heteropliyllus, & H. angustifolius, however, present the or- 

 dinary venation of Compositse (viz. 5 nei"ves corresponding with the sinuses) ; and 

 this is occasionally the case in H. longifolius. In H. Nuttallii, we obsei-ve a second- 

 ary or median nerve in two of the lacinise only. 



* Annual : heads iisuaUy large : rays numerous : receptacle fiat : involucre spreading : 

 disk brownish-purple : leaves ovate or cordate, nios/y alternate, triplinerved. — Annul. 



H. annuus, the common Sunflower, is very generally cultivated, but is no-where 

 naturalized in this countiy. 



1. H. argoplnjllus : densely lanate ; leaves alternate, mostly entire: the 

 lower cordate; the upper ovate, acute, on short petioles; heads axillary and 

 terminal, on short peduncles; scales of involucre ovate, acuminate, woolly; 

 achenia compressed, slightly hairy at the summit ; pappus of 2 very deci- 

 duous chaffy awns. 



