356 COMPOSITE. Tuckkrmannia. 



" After the period of flowering, it remains for a month or two in a dormant 

 state, shedding its leaves. . . . Cultivated in Philadelphia, it flowered both in 

 the spring and autumn." Nutt. — We trust the plant will not be lost to our 

 gardens, as it is very showy. It is very closely allied to Leptosyne, and, 

 like that plant, has nearly the style of the Anthemidese. 



107. SPILANTHES. Jacq. stirp. Amer. f. 214, U 126; DC. l. c, 



Spilantlius, Linn. mant. ; Gartn. ; Less. (^-c. — Spilanthes &; Acmella, Richard. 



Heads many-flowered ; the ray-flowers ligulate, sometimes inconspicuous, 

 or frequently wanting. Involucre shorter than the disk, appressed, in 2 

 series ; the exterior scales somewhat foliaceous ; the interior membranaceous. 

 Receptacle conical, convex, or elongated ; the chaff membranaceous, em- 

 bracing the flowers. Corolla of the disk tubular-infundibuliform, 4-5-toothed. 

 Branches of the style in the disk-flowers truncate and penicillate at the sum- 

 mit. Achenia of the disk laterally compressed, the margins mostly ciliate ; 

 of the ray, when present, somewhat triquetrous, or by the obliteration of the 

 inner angle naore or less obcompressed ; all either crowned with 1-3 small 

 setiform awns, or naked. — Mostly annual tropical herbs (the greater portion 

 American), usually fervid or acrid to the taste ; with opposite entire or serrate 

 leaves. Heads solitary on slender peduncles, ovate or conical. Flowers 

 yellow or rarely white. Anthers blackish. 



§ Heads radiate ; the rays hairy at the base: achenia of the ray either 

 3-angied and 3-aivned or sometimes aumless, or 2-aivned, the inner angle 

 naked, or sometimes the inner angle obliterated. — Acmella, (Rich.) DC. 



1. S. rcpens (Michx.) : glabrous, or sparsely somewhat hairy; stem sim- 

 ple or slightly branched, decumbent, rooting at the base ; leaves lanceolate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, acute, somewhat serrate, mostly tapering into a petiole ; 

 peduncles terminal (or at length alar), elongated ; heads ovoid ; scales of the 

 involucre lanceolate, about 12, in 2 series ; rays 12, exserted ; achenia awn- 

 less and without cihate margins. — Michx.! fl. 2. p. 131 ; DC. prodr. 5. 

 p. 623. Acmella repens, Pers. ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 406. Anthemis repens, 



Walt. ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 562. 



In wet or inundated places, South Carolina to Florida ! Sept.-Oct. — H 

 Disk and ray yellow ; the former at length oblong-conical. Achenia slight- 

 ly papillose-scabrous when mature; the exterior often with ciliate margins. 

 -^We have a specimen from a plant cultivated in the Jardin des Plantes 

 under this name, which accords with the description as to the foliage ; but 

 the short involucral scales are ovate, and the achenia all strongly ciliate. 



2. S. Nuttallii: villous-pubescent, or nearly glabrous; stems diffusely 

 branched, ascending ; leaves ovate or oblong, acute, coarsely serrate-toothed, 

 abruptly contracted into a slender petiole ; heads ovoid, at length conoid- 

 oblong, on terminal or alar peduncles longer than the leaves ; scales of the 

 involucre lanceolate-ovate, acute, 9-12, somewhat in a double series; rays 

 6 ?-12, mostly as long as the disk ; achenia awnless (rarely with 1 or 2 very 

 minute awns), tuberculate-scabrous when mature, the margins cihate. — 

 Acmella occidentahs ? Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 171, not of Pers. 



Inundated places, East Florida ! {Dr. Leavenworth !) to Louisiana ! Mis- 



