46 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



The synonymic list is as follows ; — 



1. Elephantopus L. 1737. 



=z Exielephantopus Eudl, 1836 (Sect.")- 



2. Spirochaeta Turcz. 1851. 



3. Elephantosis Less. 1829. 



4. Pseudelephantopus Eohr. 1792. 



:^Distreptus Cslss. 1817. 

 = Matamoria La Llave 1824. 



5. Elephantopsis Sch. Bip. 1847. 



6. Micropappus (Sch. Bip.) 1847. 



These names represent natural and well-marked groups in 

 what would otherwise be a large, unwieldy, very heterogen- 

 eous assemblage of species. Even if the names are discarded 

 we will still divide the group along the same lines. No attempt 

 has ever been made to divide the group in any other way, and 

 these names have been repeatedly used to designate the sec- 

 tions. These groups are as clearly differentiated as dozens 

 of other so-called genera in the Compositae, as for in- 

 stance Liatris and Trilisa, Gutierrezia and AmphiachyriSi 

 Heterotheca and Chrysopsis, Brachychaeta and Solidago, 

 Coreopsis and Bidens, etc. Viewed in the light of a com- 

 parative study of the other genera, it is quite impossible, 

 for instance, that the species tomentosus, spicatus, and a7i- 

 gustifoUus should be congeneric. Botanists have apparently 

 thrown these genera together more often through a lack of 

 knowledge, than because of any additional evidence. This 

 seems especially evident in the case of Spirochaeta. With 

 the other genera separated, Elephantopus L. (sens, strict,) 

 remains a compact, homogeneous group of species, closely 

 related and evidently congeneric. In addition, and finally, 

 the retention of these names would be a matter of great 

 convenience in many respects. 



TABLE OF GENERA OF THE ELEPHANTOPEAE. 



A. Heads four-flowered. 



B. Pappus in one sei'ies, with distinct chaffy paleae. 



C. Stem not stolouiferous; glomeruli subtended by specialized 

 leafy bracts; inflorescence terminal or subracemose; pappus of 

 5 to 10 straight setae, the paleae rarely united. 



Elephantopus. 



CC. Stem stolouiferous; glomeruli subtended by simple reduced 



leaves; inflorescence spicate; pappus of about 4 to 6 spirally 



twisted setae. Spirochaeta. 



