N. ORD. COMPOSITZA, 91 
Tribe.—SENECIONIDEA. 
GENUS.—SENECIO,* LINN. 
SEX. SYST.—SYNGENESIA SUPERFLUA. 
SENECIO. 
GOLDEN RAGWORT. 
SYN.—SENECIO AUREUS, LINN.; SENECIO GRACILIS, PURSH.; SENECIO 
FASTIGIATUS, ELL. 
COM. NAMES.—GOLDEN RAGWORT, GROUNDSEL, SQUAW-WEED, LIFE- 
ROOT, FALSE VALERIAN, GOLDEN SENECIO, FEMALE REGULA- 
TOR, FIREWEED,+ UNKUM; (FR.) SENECON; (GER.) GOLDENES 
KREUZKRAUT. 
A TINCTURE OF THE ENTIRE, FRESH, FLOWERING PLANT, SENECIO AUREUS, LINN. 
Description—This early spring perennial, usually attains a growth of about 
1 or 2 feet. oot small, thin, horizontal; rootlets numerous, slender. S/ew usually 
free of woolliness at the flowering season, floccose woolly when young. Leaves 
alternate; radical leaves on long, slender petioles, 6/ade mostly rounded and un- 
divided, dase somewhat truncate or almost cordate, margin crenate, under surface 
pinkish-purple ; caz/ine leaves, lowermost similar to the root-leaves with the addi- 
tion of 2 or 3 lobelets opposite along the petiole, 6/ade subcordate, crenate, pink- 
ish beneath; mzddle leaves lyrately divided and passing gradually to laciniate- 
pinnatifid, dases semi-auriculate, clasping; saperior leaves linear-lanceolate, lin- 
ear, sessile, and lastly bracteolate. /n/lorescence numerous superior-axillary and 
finally corymbose, long-peduncled, ray-bearing heads; heads radiate, many-flow- 
ered; receptacle flat and naked. Ray florets 8-12, conspicuous, ovoid, pistillate. 
Disk florets numerous, perfect, tubular ; corolla 5-lobed; odes revolute, obtuse. 
Involucre of a few lanceolate scales arranged in a single row; pappus of many, 
soft, capillary bristles. Azthers tailless. Style bifurcated ; stigmas recurved, Akenes 
quite glabrous or only microscopically hairy on the angles, neither rostrate nor 
winged. Read description of the order, under Eupatorium purpureum,.78. 
History and Habitat.—The Golden Ragwort is common everywhere, the 
primary form mostly in swampy spots and on the wet borders of streams. It 
flowers from May until June. 
Like many another of our parti 
superficial. Senecio has been foun 
ally-proven plants, the medical history is very 
d useful in Aboriginal medicine as an anti- 
an old man, on account of the hoary pappus. This large and 
. f eX, 
# The old Latin name OE Ee all but 3 of which are indigenous; of the 
widely-distributed genus contains in North America 57 species and 15 varieties, 
varieties, 6 belong to S. aureus. Bs 
¢ The true fireweed is Erechthites hieracifolia, Raf. (9°). 
* 
