192 COMPOSITE. 



In water. Can. Ver. Mass, and N. Y. W. to the sources of the Mississippi. 

 July, Aug. r l\.. Stem 2 6 feet long, simple, or with very small and slender 

 branches arising from the axils of the upper leaves. Lower leaves very multifid, 

 capillary, as in Ranunculus aquatilis, but opposite or almost verticillate ; upper 

 about an inch and a half long, broad-lanceolate, attenuate at each extremity, 

 deeply serrate or incised. Flower solitary, at the extremity of the stem, rather 

 large, yellow ; rays much longer than the involucre. Water Marigold. 



37. VERBESINA. Z,i7W. Verbesina. 



(Said to be altered from Verbena, on account of the resemblance of one of the 

 species.) 



Heads many-flowered, mostly radiate. Involucre in two or 

 more series ; the scales nearly equal or imbricated. Receptacle 

 flat or somewhat convex; the chaff concave and embracing the 

 flowers. Achenia flat-compressed, usually winged at the an- 

 gles, crowned with 2 rigid awns. 



1. V. Siegesbeckia, Mich. : stem smooth, 4- winged ; leaves opposite, decur- 

 rent, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at each end, smoothish, coarsely serrate ; 

 panicle trichotomous, corymbose at the summit ; scales of the involucre few, 

 obtuse. V. occidentals Walt. Siegesbeckia occidentals Linn. 



Shady woods. Penn. to Car. W. to Miss. July Sept. %.Root creeping. 

 Stem erect, 4 6 feet high, with 4 leafy wings. Heads in corymbs, yellow ; rays 

 1 5, lanceolate, 3- toothed. Crown Beard. 



2. V. Virginica Linn. : stem narrowly winged, tomentose-pubescent at 

 the summit ; leaves alternate, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, serrate, veined, 

 scabrous above, pubescent beneath, acute or acuminate at each end, the 

 lower decurrent ; heads in cymose corymbs, crowded. 



Dry woods. Penn. to Flor. W. to Ark. Aug., Sept. 7|.. Stem 36 feet 

 high. Heads in crowded corymbs ; rays very short, the tube and involucre pu- 

 bescent. Virginian Verbesina. 



38. HELENIUM. Linn. -False Sunflower. 

 (Named, it is said, after Helen, the wife of Menelaus.) 



Heads many-flowered, radiate ; the ray flowers in a single 

 series, pistillate, ligulate, or rarely tubular, 3 5 -cleft ; those 

 of the disk perfect, tubular, very short, 4 5 -toothed. Involu- 

 cre in 2 series ; the outer scales numerous, leafy, long-linear, 

 reflexed or spreading. Receptacle convex, globose or oblong, 

 naked. Achenia turbinate-obovate. Pappus chaffy ; chaff 5 6- 

 awned. 



H. aulumnale Linn. : smooth ; stem erect, branched ; leaves lanceolate, 

 serrate, acute, decurrent; disk globose; rays 3 5-cleft, spreading or 

 reflexed. 



Low grounds. Hudson's Bay to Flor. W. to Oregon. Aug. Oct. 1[. 

 Stem 2 3 feet high, winged by the decurrent leaves. Leaves narrowed at 

 base, the upper nearly entire. Heads middle-sized, numerous, in a terminal 

 corymb ; rays yellow, cuneate, mostly drooping ; disk greenish-yellow. Whole 

 plant intensely bitter. Sneeze-weed. 



