43° 



COMPOSITAE. 



[Vol. III. 



2. Verbesina occidentalis (L. ) Walt. Small Yellow Crownbeard. 



(Fig. 3921.) 



Siegesbeckia occidenlalis I,. Sp. PI. 900. 1753. 

 l^erbestiia occidiiilalis Walt. Fl. Car. 213. 1788. 

 V. Siegesbeckia Michx. Fl. Bor. \m. 2: 134. 1803. 



Perennial; stem glabrous, or puberulent above, 

 usually much branched, narrowly 4-winged, 3°- 

 7° high, the branches also winged and pubes- 

 cent. Leaves thin, ovate, or the upper oblong, 

 opposite, minutely rough pubescent on both 

 sides, or glabrate, acuminate at the apex, nar- 

 rowed or contracted below into slender margined 

 or naked petioles, serrate, 4'-io' long, I'-S.'i' 

 wide; heads numerous, 6"-l2" broad, corym- 

 bose at the ends of the stem and branches; in- 

 volucre oblong-campanulate, 2"-^," broad, its 

 bracts lanceolate, obtuse, erect, or the tips 

 slightly spreading, pubescent; rays 1-5, yellow, 

 usually pistillate, rarely none; achenes wingless; 

 pappus of 2 slender, at length divergent awns. 



In dry thickets and on hillsides, Maryland and 

 southern Pennsylvania to Illinois, south to Florida 

 and Georgia. Aug.-Oct. 



3. Verbesina helianthoides Michx. 

 Sunflower Crownbeard. (Fig. 3922.) 



Verbesina helianllioides Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 135. 



1S03. 

 Aclinomeris helianthoides Nutt. Gen. 2: iSi. 1818. 



Perennial; stem hispid or hirsute, 4-winged, usu- 

 ally simple, 2°-4° high. Leaves ovate or oval, .ses- 

 sile, acute, acuminate or obtuse at the apex, nar- 

 rowed at the base, serrate or serrulate, rough or 

 appressed-hispid above, densely pubescent or ca- 

 nescent beneath, 2'-4' long, l'-i>^' wide, all alter- 

 nate, or the lower opposite; heads solitary or few, 

 2'-3' broad; involucre hemispheric, about Yz' high, 

 its bracts lanceolate, acutish, canescent, appressed ; 

 rays 8-15, pistillate or neutral, linear-oblong, yel- 

 low; achenes scabrous or pubescent, broadly 

 winged; pappus of 2 subulate awns. 



On dry prairies and in thickets, Ohio to Georgia, 

 west to Iowa, Missouri and Texas. June-July. 



4. Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) A. 

 Gray. Golden Crownbeard. (Fig. 3923.) 



Ximenesia encelioides Cav. Icon. 2: 60. pi. i-S. 1795. 

 V. encelioides A. Gray, Syn. Fl. i: Part 2, 2S8. 1884. 



Annual; stem densely puberulent, much branch- 

 ed, i°-2° high. Leaves deltoid-ovate or deltoid-lan- 

 ceolate, thin,2'-4' long, acuminate, acute or blunt 

 at the apex, coarsely dentate, or even laciniate, 

 green and minutely pubescent above, pale and 

 densely canescent beneath, all alternate, or the low- 

 est opposite, narrowed at the base into naked or 

 wing-margined petioles, which are often provided 

 w ith dilated appendages at the base; heads several 

 or numerous, 1 '-2' broad; involucre hemispheric, 

 about yi' high, its bracts lanceolate,canescent; rays 

 12-15, bright golden yellow, 3-toothed; achenes of 

 the disk-flowers obovate, winged, pubescent, their 

 pappus of 2 subulate awns; those of the ray-flowers 

 rugose, thickened, often wingless. 



In moist soil, Kansas to Texas, Arizona and Mexico. 

 Also in Florida and widelj- distributed in warm regions 

 as a weed. Summer. 



