SOMPOSITE FAMILY COMPOSITAE 
LEAFCUP 
Polymnia canadensis L. 
The Leafcup is quite common in rich woods and moist shaded 
avines from Vermont to Minnesota and south to North Carolina 
ind Arkansas. It has a very strong and rather unpleasant odor. 
The blooming season is 
June to September. 
it The stem is hairy and 
RS 4.) sticky, 2-5 feet high and 
KS Tete usually branched. The 
Qe if ye rf thin, deeply angulate- 
«<> AE ee lobed leaves, 4-10 inches 
ae Gv ies fee long, are mostly opposite 
So EA See eae but with some alternate. 
Nh Ze ~The heads, either ses- 
ARLES ~~ sile or short peduncled, 
“A aR Pe Nes are few in terminal clus- 
Mae ft ters. The more or less 
Ce SS peas hemispherical involucre 
5 Ste ae is composed usually of 5 
; rather large outer bracts 
Ser and a greater number of 
small and thin inner 
ones. The receptacle is 
flat and chaffy with thin 
membranous bracts. 
Five white or yellowish 
ay flowers, which are pistillate-and produce thick 3-angled and 
-ribbed akenes, occur, but they are very variable. Usually they 
re very small, shorter than the involucre and wedge shaped. 
ometimes they are nearly one-half inch long and 3-lobed; in 
ther cases they are lacking. The disk flowers are light yellow 
nd perfect, but do not produce akenes. There is no pappus. 
The Yellow Leafcup, Polymnia uvedalia L., is a very large plant, 
ip to 10 feet high, found only in rich low woods of southern counties. 
“he variably lobed leaves may often be 1 foot long and equally wide, 
nd are generally clasping. The panicled inflorescence contains many 
eads 1-3 inches in diameter, having 10-15 bright yellow rays 3- 
oothed at the end, and numerous yellowish brown disk flowers 
yhich are tubular and perfect. 
358 
