168 



ORDER LXIV. COMPOSITE COMPOSITE-FAMILY. 



double ; outer series short, setaceous, and with the chaff united 

 into a crown ; inner series with filiform, deciduous bristles. An. 



1. C. Chinensis. China Aster. 



Stem hispid with divergent branches ; leaves alternate, coarsely toothed, 

 petiolate, cauline ones sessile, tapering at hase ; heads large, with numerous 

 rays, solitary on the extremities of the branches. Common in cultivation, 

 where many varieties occur, ranging through all the shades of red and purple, 

 from deep-blue to pure white. 



11. B^LLIS. 



Heads many-flowered. Eays pistillate. Disk perfect. In- 

 volucre hemispherical, of equal scales. Receptacle conical, 

 somewhat alveolate. Pappus none. Per. 



1. B. perennis. 



English Daisy. 



Acaulescent; root creeping; leaves obovate, crenate; scape naked, 1- 

 flowered. A beautiful little European plant, not uncommon in cultivation, 

 with a scape 3' 4' high, bearing a solitary white flower ; in cultivation double, 

 or quilled. Varieties in respect to color are also produced. 



12. DAHLIA. 



Heads many-flowered. Disk-flowers pistillate. Involucre 

 double. Scales of the outer series double and distinct, of the 

 inner 8 in number, and united at base. Receptacle chaffy. 

 Pappus none. Per. 



1. D. variabilis. Dahlia. 



Stem smootli, green ; leaves pinnate, opposite ; leaflets about 5, ovate, acu- 

 minate, nearly or quite smooth, with their common stalk winged ; outer in- 

 volucre rcflexed. Very common in cultivation, where it is usually double, and 

 sports into many varieties of almost every color and combination of colors, 

 except blue ; stem 46 ft. high. July. Sep. 



13. SOLIDAGO. 



Heads few or many-flowered. Ray-flowers about 5, pistil- 

 late. Disk-flowers perfect Involucre with imbricate, appressed 

 scales. Receptacle small, alveolate. Pappus simple, capillary. 

 Achenia nearly round, with wavy ribs. Heads, with 1 exception, 

 yellow. Per. 



1. S. lanceolata. Narrow-leaved Golden-rod. 



Stem angular, hairy, very branching ; leaves linear-lanceolate, acute, entire, 

 8 veined, slightly pubescent on the veins and margin ; heads rather small, in 

 dense, terminal, flat corymbs ; rays 15 20. A common and somewhat fragrant 

 species, in low grounds, 2 4 feet high, distinguished from most other Solida- 

 goes by its flat corymbs. Sep. 



2. S. caesia. Blue-stemmed Golden-rod. 



Stem ronnd and glaucous, often flexnous ; leaves lanceolate, serrate, acumi- 

 nate, sessile ; heads with 57 rays, in axillary, crowded, racemose clusters. A 

 handsome species, 3 4 feet high. Stem generally purplish, slender, with axil- 

 lary racemes through a great portion of its length. Common in moist woods. 



Sep. 



3. S. latifolia. 



Broad-leaved Golden-rod. 



Nearly, or quite smooth ; stem angular, somewhat flexuous, simple, or slight- 

 ly branched above ; leaves large, broad-ovate, tapering at both ends, deeply and 

 sharply serrate, with margined petioles; heads small, greenish-yellow, In very 

 short, axillary, sessile, or long, terminal racemes. A very distinct species, 1 

 2 feet high. Not uncommon along the rocky banks of streams, or in dry rich 

 woods. Sep. 



4. S. bicolor. Wliite-rayed Golden-rod. 



Pubescent ; stern mostly simple ; leaves oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, acute 

 at each end ; lower ones oval and petiolate, slightly serrate ; heads in numerous, 

 erect, densely flowered, axillary, racemose clusters, forming a long terminal, in- 

 terrupted spike; involucre-scales ovate, obtuse; rays short, pale cream-color, 

 or white, about 8 in number. A common and well marked species, of a some- 

 what hoary appearance, easily distinguished from all other species by its whitish 

 rays. Dry fields and woods. Aug. Sop. 



5. S. speciosa. 



Showy Golden-rod. 



Stem stout, smooth, simple : leaves thick, smooth, rough on the margin, oval 

 or ovate-lanceolate ; upper ones oblong-lanceolate, entire sessile ; lower taper- 

 ing into a winged petiole, slightly serrate ; heads numerous, with about 5 

 bright yellow, large rays, in numerous densely crowded, erect racemes, forming 



a long, showy, thyrsoid panicle. A tall and very handsome species, 46 feet 

 high. Not uncommon in woods. Aug. Sep. 



6. S. nemoralis. 



Gray Golden-rod. 



Pubescent ; stem mostly simple ; leaves oblanceolate, entire ; lower ones ob- 

 long-spatulate, somewhat serrate, petiolate ; heads small, with 69 deep-yellow 

 rays, in dense, and finally recurved racemes, forming a close panicle, which is 

 usually recurved ; involucre-scales oblong-linear, appressed. A common species 

 in dry soils, 12 feet high, of a grayish and somewhat stunted appearance, 

 with a large panicle of deep yellow flowers. Sep. 



7. S. serotina. 



Smooth Golden-rod. 



Stem tall, smooth, often glaucous; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, serrate, 

 rough above and on the margin, hoary on the veins beneath ; heads small, with 

 short rays, in dense flowered, paniculate racemes. A tall and variable species, 

 in low grounds, 3 6 feet high, with a more or less dense, recurved panicle. 

 Common. Sep. 



8. S. Canadensis. Canadian Golden-rod. 



Stem tall, hairy ; leaves lanceolate, serrate, rough above, more or less pu- 

 bescent beneath ; heads small, very numerous, with very short, inconspicuous 

 rays, in a large, recurved panicle. A tall, variable species, common in the bor- 

 ders of thickets and fields. One variety has the stem and under surface of the 

 leaves woolly ; another has the leaves very rough above, entire and rugose. 

 A tig. Oct. 



9. S. gigantea. 



Large Golden-rod. 



Stem stout, smooth, often glaucous; leaves lanceolate, nearly or quite 

 smooth on both sides, acuminate, sharply serrate, tapering and entire at base, 

 and ciliate on the margin ; panicles large, with pubescent branches; heads larger 

 than in the last, with rather long rays, numerous. A large and variable species, 

 with a showy panicle, 46 feet high. Common in low grounds, and along 

 fences. Aug. Oot 



10. S. sempervirens. Evergreen Golden-rod. 



Smooth ; stem stout, purplish, often somewhat glaucous ; leaves lanceolate, 

 somewhat fleshy, sessile and slightly clasping at hase, entire and rough on the 

 margin ; heads large, with 810 long, narrow, bright yellow rays, racemose, in 

 a more or less contracted panicle. A common species, 2 6 feet high, in brack- 

 ish swamps and salt marshes, with large heads, and long, narrow, radical leaves. 



Sep. 



11. S. odora. 



Spicy Golden-rod. 



Nearly or quite smooth ; stem slender, erect, or reclined ; leaves linear-lan- 

 ceolate, entire, shining above, very smooth, with pellucid dots; heads small, 

 with 34 rays, in short, spreading racemes, forming rather small, unilateral 

 panicles. An elegant species, distinguished by the fragrance of its leaves, which 

 have the odor and flavor of anise. Common. July Sep 



12. S. argrita. Sharp-toothed Golden-rod. 



Smooth ; stem erect, thick, furrowed ; leaves sharply serrate, with diverging 

 teeth, acuminate, tapering at base ; lower and radical ones oval-lanceolate, or 

 lanceolate, attenuate to margined and ciliate petioles; cauline ones lanceolate, or 

 oblong, the highest entire, small; heads medium size, with about 10 rays, in 

 dense, long, recurved racemes, forming a 1-sided, flat, corymbose panicle. A 

 very common and variable species, in woods and fields, distinguished by its 

 large panicle and recurved racemes. July Sep. 



13. S. altissima. Hough Golden-rod. 



Pubescent ; stem erect, rough, branching above ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, or 

 oblong, sharply serrate, rough, especially above ; upper ones acute, or acumi- 

 nate, often thick in texture, and rugose; racemes paniculate on the spreading 

 branches; heads small, with 6 8 rays; involucre-scales linear. A tall, rough 

 species, 4 6 feet high ; extremely variable. Common in the borders of fields 

 and thickets. The stem is thickly clothed with rough leaves, and is very 

 branching above, with large, more or less recurved panicles. Distinguished es- 

 pecially by its rough stem and leaves. Sep. Oct. 



14. iNULA. 



Heads many-floAvered. Involucre imbricated. Rays numer 

 ous, in one row, pistillate. Disk-flowers perfect. Receptacle 

 naked. Pappus simple, capillary. Per. 



1. I. Helcnium. Elecampane. 



Stem stout, furrowed, branching and woolly above; leaves ovate, downy be 

 neath ; radical ones very large, petiolate, serrate ; canline ones clasping ; brads 



