210 CAMPANULACE^. 



67. MULGEDIUM. Cass.— Mulgedium. ^ 



(From the Latin mulgeo, to milk ; on account of its yielding a white juice 

 when cut.) 



Heads many-flowered. Involucre calyculate-imbricate, the 

 outer scales much shorter than the inner. Receptacle naked, 

 honey-combed. Achenia smooth, compressed, attenuated into 

 a beak at the summit, appearing as if a part of the achenium, 

 and expanded into a short thick cup-form disk. Pappus in one 

 or a few series of stiff rough white or tawny hairs. 



1. M. macrophyUum D. C: stem stiffly erect, hispid at the summit; 

 leaves broad-lyrate, cordate at base, hairy beneath ; terminal lobe large, 

 cordate ; petioles winged ; heads in a loose hispid panicle ; involucre 

 slightly hispid. Sonchus macrophyllus Willd. Agathyrsus macrophyllus Don. ? 



Wet grounds. Penn. to Car. 1 Aug., Sept. %. — Root tuberous. Stem 4 — 7 

 feet high. Heads about as large as those of Cichorium Intyhus. Flowers blue. 

 A doubtful species. Large-leaved Mulgedium. 



2. M. Floridanum D. C. : smooth ; stem erect, purplish or somewhat 

 glaucous, paniculate above; cauline leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, petioled; 

 the lobes few, sinuate-toothed; uppermost triangular, acute ; heads in a 

 loose erect panicle. Sonchus Fioridanus Linn. Agathyrsus Fioridanus 

 Don. 



Woods and road sides. N. Y. to Geor. July, Aug. @. — Stem 3 — 6 feet high, 

 often purplish. Heads rather small, in an oblong terminal panicle. Flowers blue, 

 Pappus dirty white. Pursh states that this plant is used as a cure for the bite 

 of the rattlesnake in the same manner as Nabalus Serpentarius, and is known 

 by the name of Gall of tfie Earth. 



3. M. acuminatum D. C. : stem erect, smooth, simple ; cauline leaves 

 ovate, acute, sparingly toothed, attenuated into a winged petiole, slightly 

 hairy on the midrib and veins beneath ; radical sometimes slightly runcinate ; 

 heads in a thyrse-like panicle ; peduncles somewhat scaly. Sonchus acumi- 

 tiatus Willd. Lactuca villosa Jacq. 



Shady woods. N. Y. to Geor. and Louis. Aug., Sept. (p). — Stem 3 — 6 feet 

 high, paniculate above. Heads small, not numerous, in a widely spreading ter- 

 mmal panicle ; the peduncles with a few ovate ciliate scales. Flowers blue. 



Sharp-leaved Mulgedium. 



4. M. Uucophaum D. C. : stem very leafy, smoothish, paniculate at the 

 summit ; leaves somewhat runcinate-pinnatifid, coarsely toothed, somewhat 

 hairy beneath ; heads in a large compound panicle ; peduncles scaly. 

 Sonchus leucophcBus Willd. Agathyrsus leucophcBus Don. 



Waste grounds and road sides. Can. to Car. W. to Oregon. July — Sept. 

 ^. — Stem 3 — 10 feet high, (Torr.) smooth, or slightly hairy. Lower leaves very 

 large. Heads numerous, small, in an elongated panicle. Flowers bluish-white. 



Tall Mulgedium. 



Order LXX. CAMPANULACE^.— Bellworts. 



Oalyx usually 5-lobed, (3 — 8,) persistent. Corolla usually 

 6-lobed, (3 — 8,) withering, valvate. Stamens alternate with the 



