COMTOSITyE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 227 



■^ Perennial or biennial herbs, -with alternate simple or lobed leaves, and showy 

 heads terminating the stem or branches. Hays yellow or party-colored. Disk 

 dark purple or yellowish. 



* T)isik ovate or r/lohoxe. 

 -t- Leaves undivided : stem simple or sparinghj branched. 



1. E.. hirta, L. Hirsute; stem and branches naked at the summit ; leaves 

 3-ribbed, lanceolate or oblong, sen-ate, the upper ones sessile, the lowest nar- 

 rowed into a petiole ; disk roundish, purplish brown ; chalF of the receptacle 

 a 'ute, hairy at the apex ; appendages of the style subulate. — Dry soil, Florida 

 to Mississippi, and northward. July and August. — Stem rigid, l°-2'^high. 

 Hays longer or shorter than the involucre. 



2. R, fulgida, Ait. Hairy ; stem simple or sparingly branclicd, naked at 

 the summit ; leaves 3-ribbed, mostly serrate ; the lowest oval or oblong, on slen- 

 der petioles ; the upper ones spatulate-oblong or lanceolate, slightly clasping ; 

 rays commonly longer than the involucre ; disk roundish, dark purple ; chaff of 

 the receptacle smoothish, rather obtuse ; appendages of the style short-conical. 

 (R. discolor. Ell. R. spathulata, Michx., a smoothish mountain form, with spat- 

 ulate mostly entire leaves, and smaller heads.) — Dry soil, Florida, and northward. 

 August and September. — Stem 1° - 3° high. Rays often turning reddish at tlie 

 base in withering. 



3. R. mollis, FU. Stem liirsute-villous, branching ; leaves oblong, ob- 

 scurely serrate, sessile and partly clasping, soft-tomentose on both sides ; the 

 lowest somewhat spatulatc ; scales of the involucre numerous, linear-lanceolate, 

 villous, rcflexed, half as long as the (12-20) rays ; disk brownish ; chaff of the 

 I'eceptacle rather obtuse, tomentose at the apex. — Western districts of Georgia. 

 August - October. — Stem 2° -3° high. 



4. R. Heliopsidis, Ton-. & Gray. Ehizoma prostrate ; stem pubescent, 

 with few peduncle-like branches at the summit ; leaves ovate or oval, slightly 

 serrate, obtuse, smoothish, 5-ribbed, petioled ; scales of the involucre oblong, 

 shorter than the brownish-purple sul)globose disk, and (10- 12) oblong-linear 

 rays ; chaff of the receptacle obtuse, pubescent at the apex ; achenia of the rays 

 3-angled, as large as those of the disk. — Pine bairens near Columbus, Georgia, 

 and Alabama. August and September. — Stem 2° high. 



+- ■<- Leavis divided : stem paniculately or corijmboseli/ branched. 



5. R. triloba, L. Biennial, rough-hairy; stem much branched; lowest 

 leaves long-petioled, ovate or oval, simple, or with two small lateral lobes, serrate ; 

 lower stem-leaves 3-lobed ; the upper simple, sessile, often entire ; heads small, 

 numerous; scales of the involucre narrow-lanceolate, shorter than the rays; 

 disk almost black ; chaff of the receptacle awl-pointed, smooth, as long as the 

 flowers. — Var. pinnatiloba, Torr. & Gray, is smaller and more slender, and 

 the lower stem leaves pinnately lobed. — Dry soil. West Florida and northward. 

 August and September. — Stem 2° - 5° high. Leaves sometimes all undivided. 

 Rays about 8. 



6. R. laciniata, L. Stem smooth, tall (4° - e"*), branching ; leaves 

 rough ; the lowest pinnately divided, the divisions lanceolate or oblong, lobed or 



