396 



COMPOSITAE. 



[Vol. III. 





J 





42. PLUCHEA Cass. Bull. Philom. 1817: 31. 1S17. 



Pubescent or glabrous herbs, or some tropical species shrubby, with alternate dentate 

 leaves, and small heads of tul)ular flowers in terminal corymbose cymes. Involucre ovoid, 

 campanulate, or nearly hemispheric, its bracts appressed, herbaceous, imbricated in several 

 series. Receptacle flat, naked. Outer flowers of the head pistillate, their corollas filiform, 

 3-cleft or dentate at the apex. Central flowers perfect, but mainly sterile, their corollas 5- 

 cleft. Anthers sagittate at the base, the auricles caudate. Style of the perfect flowers 2-cleft 

 or undivided. Acheues 4-5-angled. Pappus a single series of capillary scabrous bristles. 

 [Named for the Abbe N. A. Pluche, of Paris.] 



About 30 species, widely distributed in warm and temperate regions. In addition to the follow- 

 ing, another indigenous species occurs in the southwestern United States, and two introduced ones 

 have been found in waste places in Florida. 



Perennial; leaves sessile, cordate, or clasping at the base. i. P, viscosa. 



Annual; leaves, at least those of the stem, petioled. 



Leaves shortpetioled; heads about 3" high; involucral bracts densely puberulent. 



2. P. camphorala. 

 Leaves slenderpetioled; heads 2"-2;j" high; involucral bracts granulose, ciliate. 



3. P. peliolala. 



I. Pluchea foetida (L.) B.S.P. 

 Viscid Marsh Fleabane. (Fig. 3839.) 



Baccharis foetida L. Sp. PI. 861. 1753. 

 Baccharis viscosa Walt. Fl. Car. 202. 17SS. 

 Pluchea bifronsX>C.V^oAx. <,: ^%\. 1836. 

 Phichca foetida B.S.P. Prel. Cat. N. Y. 28. 1888. 



Root perennial; stem simple or sparingly 

 branched at the summit, puberulent and slightly 

 viscid, i/4°-3° high. Leaves oblong, ovate or 

 ovate-lanceolate, closely sessile and more or less 

 cordate-clasping at the base, obtuse or acute at 

 the apex, sharply denticulate, pubescent or pu- 

 berulent, 2'-4' long, '/z'-i'yi' wide, reticulate- 

 veiny; clusters of heads sessile, or stalked, com- 

 pact, leafy-bracted; involucre 2|2'"-3" high, its 

 bracts lanceolate, acute, viscid-puberulcnt. 



In swamps, southern New Jersej' to Florida and 

 Texas, mainly near the coast. Also in the West In- 

 dies. July-Sept. 



2. Pluchea camphorata (L. ) DC. Spicy 

 or Salt-marsh Fleabaue. (Fig. 3840.) 



Erigeron camphoraiiim L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1212. 1763. 

 Pluchea camphorata DC. Prodr. 5: 451. 1836. 



Root annual; stem usually branched, finely vis- 

 cid-puberulent, or nearly glabrous, 2°-3° high, 

 somewhat channeled. Leaves ovate, oblong or 

 lanceolate, puberulent or glabrous, acute or acu- 

 minate at the apes, narrowed at the base, short- 

 petioled, or the upper sessile but not clasping, 

 3'-S' long, I '-3' wide, serrate or denticulate, not 

 conspicuously reticulate-veined; heads about 3" 

 high, rarelj' leafy-bracted, mostly in naked open 

 corymbiform cymes; bracts of the involucre ovate- 

 lanceolate, or lanceolate, acute, puberulent; 

 flowers purplish; achenes pubescent. 



In salt marshes, coast of Massachusetts to Florida, 

 Texas and Mexico. Also in the West Indies. Called 

 also Ploughman 'swort. .\ug.-Oct. 



