230 COMPOSITE. (composite family.) 



soft Lairs. — Erect and coarse annuals, of a rank smell, with alternate simplo 

 leaves, and paniculate-corymbed heads of whitish flowers. (The ancient name 

 of some species of Groundsel, probably called after Erecktheus.) 



1. E. hicracifulia, Raf. (Fireweed.) Often hairy; stem grooved; 

 leaves lanceolate or oblong, acute, cut-toothed, sessile ; the upper often with an 

 auricled clasping base. (Senecio hieracifolius, L.) — Moist woods; common, 

 especially northward, and in recent clearings, where the ground has been burned 

 over ; whence the popular name. July - Sept. — Plant 1° - 5° high, with some- 

 what the aspect of a Sow-thistle. 



62. CACALIA, L. Indian Plantain. 



Heads 5 - many-flowered ; the flowers all tabular and perfect. Scales of the 

 involucre in a single row, with a few bractlets at the base. Receptacle naked. 

 Corolla deeply 5-cleft. Achenia oblong, smooth. Pappus of numerous capil- 

 lary bristles. — Smooth and tall perennial herbs, with alternate often petioled 

 leaves, and rather large heads in flat corymbs. Flowers white or whitish. (An 

 ancient name, of uncertain meaning.) 



* Involucre 25 - 30-Jloivered, with several bracts at its base: receptacle flat. 



1. C SUaveoleilS, L. Stem grooved (3° -5° high); leaves triangular- 

 lanceolate, lialherd-shaped, pointed, serrate, those of the stem on winged petioles. 

 — Rich woods, Connecticut to Wisconsin and Kentucky. Sept. 



* * Involucre 5-leaved and 5-flowered, Us bracts minute or none : receptacle bearing a 

 more or less evident scale-like pointed appendage in Hie centre. 



2. C. reniformis, Muhl. (Great Indian Plantain.) Stem (4°- 

 9° high) grooved and angled ; leaves green both sides, dilated fan-shaped, or the low- 

 est kidney-form (l°-2° broad), repand-toothed and angled, palmately veined, peti- 

 oled; the teeth pointed ; corymbs large. — Rich damp woods, Penn. to Illinois, 

 and southward along the mountains. Aug. 



3. C. atriplicifolia, L. (Pale Indian Plantain.) Stem terete 

 (3° -6° high), and with the palmately veined and angidate-lobed leaves glaucous; 

 lower leaves triangular-kidney-form or slightly heart-shaped ; the upper rhom- 

 boid or wedge-form, toothed. — Rich woodlands, TV. New York to Wisconsin, and 

 southward. Aug. 



4. C. tuberosa, Nutt. (Tuberous Indian Plantain.) Stem angled 

 and "-rooved (2° -6° high), from a thick or tuberous root; leaves green both sides, 

 thick, strongly 5 - 1 -nerved ; the lower lance-ovate or oval, nearly entire, tapering 

 into long petioles; the upper on short margined petioles, sometimes toothed 

 at the apex. — Wet prairies, &c, Ohio to Wisconsin, and southward. June. 



63. SENECIO, L. Groundsel. 



Heads many-flowered ; the flowers all perfect and tubular, or mostly with the 

 marginal ones radiate ; the rays pistillate. Scales of the involucre in a single 

 row, or with a few bractlets at the base. Receptacle flat, naked. Pappus of 

 numerous very soft and slender capillary bristles. — Herbs, in the United States, 



