134 GAMOPETALOUS EXOGENS 



Chester County. JOHN BARTRAM, in Ms Appendix to SHORT'S 

 Medicina Britannica, says this is the Golden Rod "so famous for the 

 bite of a Rattle-snake ;" and, like many other "famous" cures, is 

 probably little worth, in such cases. 



1 1 Racemes terminal, erect. * Heads small. 



5. S. puberula, Nutt. Minutely hoary-pubescent; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, nearly entire ; racemes dense, leafy. 



PUBERULENT SOLIDAGO. 



Stem 2 to 3 feet high, simple, striate, often purple. Leaves 1 to 3 or 4 inches 

 long, the lower ones rather oblanceolate, all scabrous on the margin. Heads of 

 flowers in short erect axillary racemes, forming altogether a kind of compound 

 leafy spike 4 to 8 or 10 inches in length; involucre puberulent, yellowish; ray a 

 middle-sized : dkenes minutely pubescent. 



Hob. Swamps, and low grounds; J. D. Steele's: rare. Fl. Aug. Fr. Octo, 

 * * Heads rather large. 



6. S. speciosa, Nutt. Stem stout, sulcate-striate, smooth j leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, thickish ; racemes thyxsoid ; rays large. 

 HANDSOME, OR SHOWY SOLIDAGO. 



Stem 3 to 5 or 6 feet high, often purple, simple, or virgately branched-. Radical 

 leaves 4 to 6 or 8 inches long, ovate, more or less serrate, on margined petioles 2 to 

 4 or 5 inches in length ; stem-leaves gradually smaller, narrowed to a short petiole,-&[l 

 smooth, coriaceous, and scabrous on the margin. Heads of flowers numerous, 

 clustered on longish axillary branches, which form a kind of terminal panicle j 

 involucre smooth ; akenes striate, smooth. 

 Hob. Copses; banks of Schuylkill, &c.: rare. Fl. Sept. Fr. Octo. 



f } f Racemes secund, spreading or recurved. 

 * Heads and leaves rather large. 



y. S, patula, Muhl. Stem striate-angled, smooth ; leaves oval, 

 acute, serrate, very scabrous above, smooth beneath ; racemes pan- 

 iculate, spreading. 

 SPREADING SOLIDAGO. 



Stem 2 to 4 feet high, dark green, or sometimes purple. Radical leaves 3 to 6 

 inches long, crenate-serrate, subcoriaceous, abruptly narrowed to a margined 

 petiole about as long as the leaf; stem-leaves gradually smaller, narrowed at base, 

 sessile. Heads of flowers in "secund spreading paniculate racemes ; involucre mi- 

 nutely pubescent ; rays middle-sized ; akenes slightly puberulent and bristly. 

 Hal). Low grounds; thickets &c.: frequent. Fl. Aug. Fr. Octo. 



Obs. This species is easily recognized by the remarkable shagreen- 

 like roughness of the upper surface of the leaves. 



8. S. arg^ta, Ait. Smooth; leaves thickish, elliptic-lanceolate, 

 acuminate, sharply and unequally serrate, smooth on both sides, 

 the margins scabrous-ciliate ; racemes dense, smooth, finally elon- 



ated and recurved. 

 . ciliaris. Muhl. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 455. 

 SHARP (NOTCHED) SOLIDAGO. 



Stem 2 to 3 feet high. Radical leaves 4 to 6 or 8 inches long, subcoriaceous, 

 tapering to a margined ciliate petiole 2 to 4 inches in length ; stem-leaves varying 

 to linear-lanceolate, narrowed to a short petiole. Heads of flowers in secund pani- 

 culate racemes ; involucre smoothisb ; akenes somewhat pubescent. 



