COMPOSITE. (composite FAMILY.) 251 



8 scales, 8 - 1 2-flowered ; pappus light brown ; flowers white or cream-color. — 

 Open woods in the upper districts of Georgia, and northward. Sept. — Stem 

 3° -4° high. 



2. M". altissimus, Hook. Smooth; stem simple or sparingly branched 

 above ; leaves thin, ovate or cordate, petioled, acuminate, denticulate, or the 

 lower ones palmately 3 - 5-cleft or parted ; heads in small axillary and terminal 

 clusters, forming a long panicle ; involucre slender, greenish, of about 5 scales, 

 .5 - 6-flowerod ; pappus dirty white or straw-colored. — Varies vrith the wavy- 

 toothed leaves, deltoid ; the lowest hastate -3-angled or parted. (Prenanthcs 

 deltoidea, Ell. ) — Woods along the mountains, Georgia, and northward. Se[)t. 



— Stem 3° - 5° high. Flowers yellowish, or greenish white. 



3. N. Fraseri, DC. Smooth or slightly pubescent; stem corymbosely 

 panicled above ; leaves deltoid, mucronate, pinnately 3 - 7-lobed, on winged peti- 

 oles ; the upper lanceolate, often entire ; clusters small, temiinal ; involucre 

 greenish, smooth or hairy, of about 8 scales, 8 -12-flowcred ; pappus straw- 

 color. — Varies with the lanceolate or oblong leaves mostly sessile, or the upper- 

 most clasping; the 12-15-flowered involucre hirsute with long purplish hairs. 

 (Prenanthes crepidinea, Ell.) — Dry sterile soil, Florida, and northward. Sept. 



— Stem l°-4° high. 



4. M". virgatus, DC. Smooth ; stem simple, virgate ; leaves lanceolate, 

 acute, sessile or partly clasping ; the uppermost small, entire ; the lowest deeply 

 pinnatifid, on margined petioles ; clusters of heads small, racemose ; involucre 

 smooth, purplish, of about 8 scales, 8 - 1 2-flowered ; pappus straw-color. — 

 Damp soil, Florida, and northward. Sept. — Stem 2° - 4° high. Flowers 

 purplish. 



5. N. crepidineus, DC. Smoothish ; stem tall, corymbosely panicled ; 

 leaves oblong-ovate or somewhat hastate, acute, unequally toothed, the lowest on 

 winged petioles; involucre brown, hairy, of 12-14 scales, 20-35-flowered ; 

 jtappus light brown. — Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Sept. — 

 Stem 5° -8° high. Lower leaves 8'- 12' long. Flowers yellowish-white. 



86. LYGODESMIA, Don. 

 Heads 5 - 10-flowcred. Involucre elongated, cylindrical, of .5 -8 linear scales, 

 and a few short exterior ones. Receptacle naked. Achenia linear, elongated, 

 smooth, striate, not narrowed upward. Pappus of copious smoothish white 

 hairs in several rows. — Perennial smooth herbs, with linear or filiform leaves. 

 Heads solitary. Flowers rose-color. 



1. L. aphylla, DC. Stem simple or forking ; lowest leaves filiform, 

 elongated ; the others remote, small, and bract-like ; heads showy. (Prenanthes 

 aphylla, iV«tt.) —Dry sandy pine barrens, Georgia and Florida. April and 

 May. — Stem 1° - 2° high. 



87. TARAXACUM, Haller. Dandelion. 

 Heads many-flowered. Involucre double ; the exterior of small spreading 

 scales ; the interior erect in a single row. Receptacle naked. Achenia oblong. 



