COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 199 
5. A. gracilis, Nutt. Stem slender, slightly pubescent, corymbose at the - 
summit ; leaves rough, oblong, partly clasping, entire ; the lowest obscurely cre- 
nate and narrowed into a petiole; heads corymbose ; involucre (whitish) obconi- 
cal as long as the disk; the scales very unequal, acute, the lower ones much 
shorter, green and slightly spreading at the tips. — North Carolina and Tennes- 
see. Sept.— Stem 19-29 high. Leaves 1/-2! long. Heads smallest of this 
group. Rays about 12, violet. 
6. A. surculosus, Michx. Stems several from a creeping caudex, slen- 
der, pubescent above; leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, smooth, the 
margins rough and sometimes sparingly serrate, clasping ; the lowest narrowed 
into a petiole; heads solitary, or 3-5 in a simple corymb; involucre broadly 
top-shaped, nearly as long as the disk ; the scales linear-spatulate, with abruptly 
pointed spreading herbaceous tips; the outer ones lanceolate and leaflike. — 
Margins of swamps, North Carolina. Sept.— Stems $°-1}° high. Lowes 
leaves 4!-6! long. Heads }/ wide. Rays numerous, violet. 
7. A. paludosus, Ait. Stem slightly roughened; leaves linear, rigid, 
acute, entire, partly clasping, often fringed near the base; heads 3-8, racemed 
or corymbed ; involucre hemispherical, as long as the disk; the scales nearly 
equal, linear-spatulate, with mucronate green and spreading tips. — Low pine 
barrens, Florida to North Carolina. Sept. and Oct. — Stem 19-29 high. 
Leaves 2'-4'long. Heads j/-$' wide. Rays numerous, deep blue. 
8. A. spinulosus, n.sp. Rhizoma tuberous; stem rigid, sprinkled with 
White jointed hairs; leaves rigid, narrow-linear, pungent, appressed, the mar- 
gins fringed with bristly hairs; the lowest ones very numerous and elongated; 
heads 4-8 in a simple spike; involucre bell-shaped, rather shorter than the 
disk; scales equal, lanceolate-subulate, rigid, erect, spine-pointed, bristly near 
the base; achenia strongly ribbed. — Damp pine barrens, West Florida, near 
the coast. June-August. — Stem 10/-15/ high. Lowest leaves 6’-12' long, 
1/-3" wide; the upper ones 1! long. Heads 3! wide. Rays 12-15, pale blue. 
Pappus tawny. 
9. A. eryngiifolius, Torr. & Gray. Rhizoma tuberous; stem rigid, 
sprinkled with jointed hairs; leaves lanceolate-linear, pungent, the lowest mostly 
entire; the others erect, and fringed with spiny teeth; heads very large, solitary 
9r 3-4 in a loose raceme ; involucre hemispherical, shorter than the disk; scales 
very numerous, herbaceous, rigid, lanceolate, tapering into a long and slender 
recurved tip; achenia short, oblong. — Low pine barrens, Florida. June- Au- 
Eust. — Stem 1°-2° high. Lowest leaves 4/-6! long. Heads l'or more in 
diameter, Rays numerous, white. Se ce on 
$3. Asrer proper. — Scales of the involucre imbricated in various degrees, with —— T 
! tips: rays numerous: achenia flattened: pappus of soft capillary bris- == 
les, not thickened upward: autumnal plants. -o db ee 
(cales of the involucre imbricated in 3 — several rows : rays violet-pur 
_10. A. sericeus, Vent. Stem with numerous rous branches, bearing 
(single or 3 in a cluster) at their summits; leaves 
