ORDER SUPERFLUA. 1G7 



joint of the purple stem, and terminated above by 

 numerous clusters of small, shining purplish flowers. 

 These, all formerly included in the tall E. verticilla- 

 tum, have leaves and flowers of a bitterish taste, 

 arising from the dispersion of numerous minute, and 

 superficial resinous, yellow glands or scales, and have 

 been employed as useful tonics. The most remark- 

 able, however, of these medicinal species is the 

 American Thoroughwort, or E. perfoliatum, having 

 pubescent, rugose (or wrinkled) leaves, growing so 

 together at the base, as to appear but one, perforated 

 by the stem. In this, the flowers are white. But 

 the most beautiful species in existence, is the E. cce- 

 lestinum, growing wild by river banks, from the Po- 

 tomac to the Mississippi. Its flowers, produced very 

 late in autumn, are of a beautiful smalt or sky blue, 

 with the leaves cordate-ovate, and toothed. 



Scarcely distinct from Eupatorium is the Milcania 

 of Willdenow ; all the species of which, American, 

 and some of them tropical, are twining-stemmed pe- 

 rennials, mostly with cordate, acuminated leaves ; 

 and copious, axillary corymbs of purplish flowers, so 

 small, taken singly, as to have a calyx of only 4 to G 

 leaves, with 4 to G flowers on a naked receptacle, anil 

 a hairy pappus. 



SUPERFLUA. 



In this order, characterized by producing 2 kinds 

 of florets in the same common calyx, those in the 

 ray stylifcrous only, and those in the disk tubular and 

 perfect ; there are likewise 2 sections, but much less 

 obvious than those of the preceding order JEqualis. 

 In the first the 



* Florets of the ray are obsolete. 

 Such are the flowers of the Tansey (Tanacetum), 



