456 Beautiful Plants grouping icild 



smooth, heart-shaped, ovate, notched on the margin. Upper 

 leaves simply pinnatifid, as if pieces were deeply cut out at the 

 sides, somewhat comb-fashion ; middle leaves pinnatifid, with a 

 rounded leaflet at the tip. P^lowers golden yellow, with rays ; 

 and growing in corymbs, or flattish-topped, and somewhat um- 

 brella-shaped heads. Calyx smooth, dark, often striped. — 

 Meadows. — May, June. 



SiLENE. 



Silene pennsylvanica Pink Catchfly. Sometimes called 

 Wild Pink, from its similarity in habit to some of that genus. 

 Stems numerous, about six, and sometimes even twelve inches 

 high. Leaves of the root spatulate, or acute at top, and ta- 

 pering into a long base ; those of the stem lance-formed, oppo- 

 site. Flowers reddish pink color, in upright, terminal bunches. 

 Calyxes nearly cylindrical, hairy, and glutinous. Petals five, 

 wedge-formed, crowned at the mouth, and having long claws 

 or petal stems ; also, more or less notched at the end, and 

 scolloped on the margin. — Dry sandy woods. — Near JNIount 

 Auburn. — June. 



SOLIDAGO. 



Our species of SoUddgo, or golden rod, are very many. 

 But in general, a plant may be known, at first sight, to be of 

 this genus, by resembling our well known Soliddgo odora, or 

 Sweet-scented golden rod, employed in medicine, and usually 

 termed simply golden rod. The species that are worth 

 cultivating for their flowers, are not, perhaps, more than two 

 or three. 



Soliddgo altissima Tall golden Rod. Very common, but 

 the most showy species of all. Stem from three to five feet in 

 height, erect, stiff, rough, hairy, branching at top. Leaves 

 numerous, stemless, lance-formed, rough, wrinkled, irregu- 

 larly veined, and having teeth or notches pointing outward. 

 Flowers small, but extremely numerous, golden yellow, about 

 eight rayed ; with an oblong calyx, contracted at top, and 

 having slender pointed scales or calyx leaves, lying closely 

 over each other. The flowers are in bunches, flat (or 

 shaped like branches of red cedar), and consisting of many 

 smaller bunches, or one-sided panicles, with divided and sub- 

 divided flower stems, having the blossoms pointing upwards ; 

 the whole inclining to one side. — Variable. — Field sides, &.c. 

 — September. 



Soliddgo Iccvigdla Marsh Golden Rod. A tall inhabitant of 

 salt marshes, where its large yellow tops are very showy in 

 autunm. Stem thick, round, smooth, leafy, from two to five 

 feet high, and commonly branching at top. Leaves fleshy, 

 lance-formed, perfectly smooth, clasping the stem more or 

 less, and having notches, or teeth on the margin ; root leaves 

 sometimes at least, inverted egg-shaped. Flowers golden 



