205 
COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 
Low, smooth or roughish ; stems many from the same firm rootstock, 
simple \ leaves linear-lanceolate , acute y rigid , entire , with rough mar¬ 
gins, tapering to the base, somewhat 3-nerved j heads small, in a flat 
crowded corymb j scales of the involucre closely imbricated in 3 or 
4 rows, oblong, obtuse, the inner broadly margined; rays 12 — 18, 
white, short. —Dry rocky banks, W. Vermont to Wisconsin north¬ 
ward. — A well-marked and handsome plant, 6^—12* high, tufled. 
§ 6. Oxytripolium, DC. — Scales of the involucre imbricated , without 
herbaceous tips , usually very acute , the outer passing into scale-like 
bracts: pappus soft and capillary: achenia striate. (Natives of salt 
marshes, smooth, with narrow and mostly fleshy leaves.) 
34. A. flexuosus, Nutt. (Perennial Salt-marsh Aster.) 
Stem zigzag, rigid, forked ; the branches bearing large solitary heads ; 
leaves linear , thick and fleshy , pointed, entire ; scales of the bell¬ 
shaped involucre imbricated in many roics, ovate-lanceolate with awl- 
shaped points ; rays numerous, large, pale purple. — Salt marshes, 
Maine to Penn. 
35. A. linifoliUS, L. (Annual Salt-marsh Aster.) Stem 
much branched, the branches rather erect , bearing numerous racemose 
orpanicled small heads; leaves linear-lanceolate , pointed, entire, flat, 
on the branches awl-shaped; scales of the oblong involucre linear- 
awl-shaped , in few rows ; rays somewhat in two rows , short , not pro¬ 
jecting beyond the disk , more numerous than the disk-flowers, pur¬ 
plish. (A. subulatus, Michx.) — Salt marshes, Maine to Penn, and 
southward. — Plant 1° - 2° high. 
15. ERIGERON, L. Fleabane. 
Heads many-flowered, mostly hemispherical; the narrow rays 
very numerous, pistillate. Scales of the involucre narrow, nearly 
equal and almost in a single row. Receptacle flat, naked. Ache¬ 
nia flattened, usually pubescent and 2-nerved. Pappus a single 
row of capillary bristles, with minuter ones intermixed, or with a 
distinct short outer pappus of little bristles or chaffy scales. 
Herbs, with entire or toothed and generally sessile leaves, and 
solitary or corymbed flowers. Ray white or purple. (Name, 
from rjp , spring , and yepcov , an old man , suggested by the hoary 
appearance of some of the vernal species.) 
§ 1. Cjen6tus, Nutt . — Rays inconspicuous , in several rows , scarcely 
longer than the pappus : disk-corollas 4 -toothed: pappus simple: an¬ 
nuals and biennials: heads very small , cylindrical. 
1. E. Canada use, L. (Horse-weed. Butter-weed.) 
Bristly-hairy; stem erect, wand-like j leaves linear, mostly entire ; 
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