CARDUACEAE 1229 



various, those of the lower leaves 2-7 cm. long, 2-3-pinnatifid, those of the upper leaves 

 smaller, and 1-pinnatifid or merely toothed : heads showy : involucre hemispheric, 8-12 

 mm. high ; bracts mainly linear, glandular, with spreading green tips : ray-flowers 15-25, 

 with ligules 10-16 mm. long. 



In dry soil, Nebraska to California, Texas and Mexico. Summer. 



53. ERIGERON L. 



Annual, biennial or perennial caulescent or almost scapose herbs. Leaves alternate : 

 blades flat, entire or toothed. Heads conspicuously radiate, often showy, solitary or vari- 

 ously disposed. Involucres broad : bracts narrow, in 1-2 series, nearly equal, reflexed at 

 maturity. Receptacle nearly flat, naked. Ray -flowers pistillate, with narrow white pink violet 

 or purple ligules. Disk-flowers perfect, with yellow corollas. Anthers entire and obtuse 

 at the base. Stigmas flattened, with obtuse appendages. Achenes flattened, usually 2- 

 nerved. Pappus a single series of hair-like, or scabrous bristles, or sometimes with a series 

 of shorter bristles without. FLEABANE. 



Plants perennial by offsets, stolons or creeping stems. 

 Ray-flowers much fewer than 100. 



Leaves glabrous : bracts of the involucre 3-4 mm. long : ligules of the ray-flowers 4-6 mm. long. 



1. E. vernus. 



Leaves pubescent : bracts of the involucre 5-7 mm. long : ligules of the ray- 

 flowers 10-15 mm. long. 2. E. pulchellus. 

 Ray-flowers 100 or more. 



Stems decumbent or creeping. 



Longer involucral bracts over 6 mm. long : leaf-blades coarsely crenate. 3. E. myrionactis. 

 Longer involucral bracts less than 6 mm. long : leaf-blades coarsely ser- 

 rate. 4. E. repens. 

 Stems erect. 



Longer involucral bracts less than 4 mm. long : ligules of the ray-flow- 

 ers less than 5 mm. long. 5. E. quercifolius. 

 Longer involucral bracts over 4 mm. long : ligules of the ray-flowers 



over 5 mm. long. 6. E. Philaddphicus. 



Plants annual or biennial. 



Leaf-blades entire, toothed or lobed. 



Lower leaves with entire blades. 7. E. Bellidiastrum. 



Lower leaves with toothed or lobed blades. 



Heads solitary, terminating long peduncles. 8. E. nudiflorus. 



Heads in terminal corymbs. 



Pappus of the ray- and disk-flowers alike. 9. E. tennis, 



Pappus of the ray- and disk-flowers unlike. 



Upper stem-leaves with entire blades : ray-flowers with white lig- 

 ules. 10. E. ramosus. 

 Upper stem-leaves with sharply-toothed blades : ray-flowers with 



pink ligules. 11. E. annuus. 



Leaf-blades pinnately parted. 12. E. Neo-Mexicanua. 



1. Erigeron v6rnus (L. ) T. & G. Perennial, by stolons or offsets, glabrous or 

 slightly pubescent above. Stems scape-like, solitary or tufted, 1-6 dm. tall, corymbosely 

 branched above, 1-6 dm. tall : leaves mainly basal ; blades somewhat fleshy, glabrous, 

 spatulate, elliptic-oblong, or oval, entire or repand, petioled, or those of the stem reduced 

 to linear or subulate scales : heads not showy : involucres about 3 mm. high ; bracts linear 

 or nearly so, acute, usually pubescent : ray-flowers 20-30, with white or pink ligules 4-6 

 mm. long. [E. nudicaulis Michx.] 



In sand near the coast, Virginia to Florida and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



2. Erigeron pulchellus Michx. Perennial, by stolons and offsets, villous or hirsute- 

 villous. Stems usually solitary, 1-5 dm. tall, simple or sparingly branched : leaves mainly 

 basal ; blades spatulate, obovate or elliptic, 3-12 cm. long, entire or toothed, pubescent, or 

 those of the stem-leaves oblanceolate, oblong or lanceolate : heads solitary or few, showy : 

 involucres 6-8 mm. high ; bracts linear or nearly so, acute or acuminate : ray-flowers nu- 

 merous, with violet or bluish purple ligules 1-1.5 cm. long. [E. bellidifolius Muhl.] 



In open woods and on hillsides, Nova Scotia to Minnesota, Florida and Louisiana. Spring. 



3. Erigeron myriondctis Small. Perennial, strigose with white or whitish hairs, 

 sometimes almost acaulescent. Stems short, creeping : leaves clustered or approximate ; 

 blades oval, 1-3 cm. long, crenate or serrate-crenate with few teeth, rather cuneately nar- 

 rowed into broad petioles : peduncles 6-10 cm. long, simple : heads few, rather showy : 

 involucres hispid, 3-4 mm. high ; bracts narrowly linear, attenuate : ray-flowers exceed- 

 ingly numerous, with white or pink ligules 6-7 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, about Corpus Christi Bay, Texas. Spring. 



4. Erigeron repens A. Gray. Perennial, gray-pubescent. Stems at first very short, 

 becoming several cm. long and decumbent : leaves not approximate : blades narrowly or 



