168 ORDER SUPERFLUA. 



which bears an imbricated, hemispherical calyx, with 

 pointed scales. The rays of the corolla indistinct, 

 and trifid ; the receptacle naked, and the pappus an 

 indistinct, and mere margin. 



In the Conyza, or Marsh Fleabane, so common in 

 all our saline meadows, known by its strong and 

 somewhat disagreeable odor, and its shining terminal 

 clusters of purplish flowers, the calyx, is imbricated, 

 with the scales often chaffy and dry ; the receptacle 

 naked ; and the marginal fertile florets 3-cleft. The 

 pappus is simple and capillary. 



Gnaphalium, or Flower Everlasting, also appertains 

 to this ambiguous section, having an imbricated calyx, 

 with the scales scariose (or chaffy), and mostly color- 

 ed ; the receptacle naked ; the florets of the ray (so 

 minute and imperfect as to appear) subulate (or awl- 

 shaped) ; the fertile ones are entire ; and the pappus 

 scabrous, or not quite simple. One of the most remark- 

 able species, in some respects, is the very early flow- 

 ering G. plantagineum, which produces hoary, radical, 

 ovate, 3-nervecl, mucronated leaves, sending out pro- 

 cumbent, infertile shoots, and many low, simple stems, 

 with small flat clusters of whitish flowers, which are 

 dioicous, or of 2 different sexes, on 2 different plants. 

 The G. margaritaceum, or common Everlasting, is 

 one of the most showy American species, producing 

 very narrow, tomentose leaves ; and corymbs of glo- 

 bose, silvery white, shining flowers, which, as in the 

 rest of the genus, abounding in Europe, and at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, in Africa, owe all their beauty to 

 the fine color of the spreading, and dry scales or 

 leaves of the calyx. 



** Florets of the ray Hgulate. 



In all the plants of this section the flowers are pro- 

 vided with rays, as in the Daisy, resembling a ring of 



