Gexus 48.] 



THISTLE FAMILY. 



405 



48. POLYMNIA L. Sp. PL 926. 1753. 



Perennial herbs (some tropical species woody), with opposite membranous lobed or 

 angled leaves, or the lower alternate, and mostly large corymbose-paniculate heads of both 

 tubular and radiate yellow or whitish flowers, or rays sometimes wanting. Involucre hemi- 

 spheric or broader, of about 5 large outer bracts, and more numerous smaller inner ones^ 

 Receptacle chaffy. Ray-flowers pistillate, fertile, subtended by the inner involucral bracts,, 

 the ligules elongated, minute, or none. Disk-flowers subtended by the chaffy scales of the- 

 receptacle, perfect, sterile, their corollas tubular, 5-toothed. Anthers 2-toothed at the base. 

 Pappus none. Achenes thick, short, turgid, glabrous. [From the Muse Polhymnia.] 



About 10 species, natives of .America. Only the following are known in North America. 

 Rays commonly 6" long or more, yellow; achenes strongly striate. i. P. Uvedalia. 



Rays commonly minute and whitish, or none; achenes 3-ribbed. 2. P. Canadensis. 



I. Polymnia Uvedalia L. Yellow or 



I<arge-flo\vered Leaf-cup. 



(Fig. 3862.) 



Polymnia Uvedalia L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1303. 1763. 



Rough-pubescent, stout, branched, 3°-io° high. 

 Leaves broadly ovate or deltoid, 3-nerved, abruptly 

 contracted above the base, minutely ciliate, more 

 or less pubescent on both sides, angulate-lobcd, the 

 lower often 1° long and broad, petioled, the upper 

 sessile, somewhat clasping; heads few in terminal 

 clusters, peduncled, i Yz'-},' broad; rays 10-15, com- 

 monly 6"-i2" long, linear-oblong, bright yellow, 

 3-toothed or entire; exterior bracts of the cup-like 

 involucre ovate-oblong, obtuse, ciliate, \"-\o" 

 long; achenes slightly oblique and laterally com- 

 pressed, strongly striate, nearly 3" long. 



In rich woods. New York to Indiana, and Michigan 

 (according to Wright), south to Florida, Missouri and 

 Texas. Called also Yellow Bearsfoot. Julj'-.'V.ug. 



2. Polymnia Canadensis L. Small- 

 flowered Leaf-cup. (Fig. 3863.) 



Polymnia Canadensis L. Sp. PI. 926. 1753. 



Rather slender, viscid-pubescent, at least 

 above, simple or branched, 2°-5° high. Leaves 

 deltoid-ovate to hastate, usually very thin, all 

 petioled, deeply augnlate-lobed and the lobes 

 dentate, or the lower lyrate-pinnatifid, 4'-io' 

 long, the uppermost sometimes ovate and en- 

 tire or merely denticulate; heads few in term- 

 inal clusters, short-peduncled or sessile, 4"-6" 

 broad; outer bracts of the involucre ovate to 

 lanceolate, obtuse or acutish, 2"-}," long; rays 

 small, minute or none, whitish or yellowish; 

 achenes 3-angled, obovoid, obcompressed, 3- 

 ribbed, not striate. 



In damp, rich shaded places, western Ontario to 

 Minnesota, North Carolina and Arkansas. June- 

 Sept. 

 Polymnia Canadensis radiata A. Gray, Syn. Fl. N. A. i: Part 2, 238. 1884. 

 larger, sometimes 6" long, 3-lobed, nearly white. Occasional in the range of the type. 



49. MELAMPODIUM L. Sp. PI. 921. 1753. 



Herbs, some species woody, with opposite entire or dentate leaves, and terminal peduncled 

 heads of both tubular and radiate, white or yellow flowers in our species. Involucre hemi- 

 spheric, its bracts in 2 series, the 4 or 5 outer ones broad, often connate at the base, the inner 

 hooded, embracing or permanently surrounding the pistillate fertile ray-flowers. Receptacle 

 convex or conic, chaffy. Ray-flowers in i series, the rays spreading, 2-3-lobed or entire. 

 Disk-flowers perfect, sterile, their corollas with a narrowly campanulate 5-toothed limb, the 

 anthers entire at the base, the style undivided. Achenes obovoid, more or less incurved. 

 Pappus none. [Greek, black-foot, without significance.] 



About 25 species, natives of the warmer parts of .\merica. Besides the following, some 4 others 

 occur in the southwestern United States. 



Ligules 



